Batgirl Beyond Act One
by Evilness321
Summary: <html><head></head>Caitlyn Boardener is an ordinary teenager attending Gotham City High School, a member of the Cheerleaders Troupe, and a black belt in Martial Arts. Her Grandmother is Barbara Gordon, Grandpa is Dick Grayson and there's never a dull moment in her family.</html>
1. Prologue

**Batman Beyond- Batgirl's Return**

**Act One- Rebirth of a Legend **

**Prologue: Setting the Stage **

Caitlyn Boardener was sixteen years old, and living in Gotham City in the year 2020. She was five feet five inches tall, had waist length thick chocolate brown hair, and hazel green eyes. She kept her thick hair in a pony tail, since she couldn't do anything else with it but led a very active lifestyle. Her skin was pale peach with a light tan, and she currently was walking to school. She was the granddaughter of Barbara Gordon- who's daughter married to a well known artist in the City- so she was fairly well known in the school she attended.

Her favorite colors were purple, ultramarine blue, pink, yellow, black, green, off-white or cream, and red. Her activities at school were being on the cheerleading team, and she possesses a black belt in martial arts- having been taught at an early age by her family to be independent, strong, and able to defend herself in the dangerous city they lived in.

She was a rather slim girl, with scrawny looking arms and legs that hid how strong and swift she really could be. Another hobby of hers was running. If she had the time, she would be on the track team.

Today, Caitlyn wore an off white sweater that had a hue the faintest shade of spring green, a red Japanese-schoolgirl-style mini skirt, and flat bottomed, red dress shoes. Slung over her shoulders was her blue backpack with beaded lizards hanging off of it as well as the Batman insignia keychain that they were all clipped to.

"Caitlyn!" A friend called, and she turned to see her best friend and fellow athlete running over to her. "Are you up to going to the movies this weekend?"

Her friend was an inch taller than she was, with shoulder length golden yellow hair and brilliant blue eyes. Her skin was also pale peach, but with more of a tan than Caitlyn had. She wore a pink and red long sleeved shirt- the sleeves were pink, while the rest of the shirt was red. The girl also wore a pink Japanese-schoolgirl style mini skirt, as well as red dress shoes. Her backpack was red and slung over her shoulders in the same fashion that Caitlyn's was.

"Can't, sorry Leia. I'm meeting with Grandma and Grandpa this weekend." Caitlyn shook her head apologetically.

"Ah, that sucks. I was hoping to go see the new Bond movie with you. Guess I'll have to find someone else. It's great that you're so close with your Grandparents. I envy you. My Granddad is already dead, and my Grandma is in the hospital." Leia sighed, looking crestfallen.

Caitlyn blinked at her friend, giving her a pitying hug.

"Yeah, maybe next weekend we can hang out though. So far I don't have any plans for then." Smiled Caitlyn as she spoke in a somber, quiet voice, patting her friend on the shoulder as they joined the massive crowd of students filing in to the school building.

At their lockers, Caitlyn and Leia were met by other members of the cheerleading troupe, including the leader- a tall blond girl, and also Leia's older sister, Melody.

"I hope you girls are ready for a good, long practice today after school. We still need to learn the Egyptian Pyramid move for the football game next week." Melody said with a smile. She had the exact same shade of skin that her younger sister Leia did, while her eyes were a little more almond shaped. She wore a pink knee length skirt with flowers sewn in to the cloth.

"No problem, Melody. I made sure to clear my schedule after school." Nodded Caitlyn.

"So, any dates planned for the Spring Dance coming up?" Asked a orange-haired girl known as Sheryl. Sheryl was shorter than the other three, with shoulder length red hair, and a rather strange last name, though the troupe was used to it by now. Her full name was Sheryl Harlot Dee, while her twin sister- also on the Cheerleading Troupe, looked exactly like her, but her name was Sharon Coylet Dee. The two sisters were the same height, and had the same shape of eyes, including the same shade of green eyes. They wore red shirts, off-white shorts, and red shoes. Over their shirts they wore off white jean jackets both with the ace of hearts sewn in to the front coat pocket. It was also well known that the twins had an older brother by two years on the football team known as Nathan J. Dee. He was the best player on the Gotham City High School team, and considered one of the most handsome and promising young men in the school.

"No, I won't be going. I've never had any real reason to." Shrugged Caitlyn.

"Awe, but there are always loads of hot guys asking you to go on dates with them!" Exclaimed Sharon.

"Yeah, hot guys with massive egos, no personality, and who are complete jerks just because I'm a cheerleader and they think they can get away with anything they want." Caitlyn shook her head.

"Hnn... you do have a point there. But what about that one guy, McGinnis?" Leia grinned, pointing across the hallway through the crowd of classmates at the tall boy with jet black hair that stuck out weirdly in the front. He wore a brown jacket, black slacks, black shoes and a black shirt.

"McGinnis? No way. He's always looking like he's fresh from a fight or something, and constantly getting called out of class by his boss... I think that's Mr. Wayne? Yeah... I'd need someone more reliable than that, thank you very much." Caitlyn shook her head rather quickly.

"Well, suit yourself if you want to be on your own on Dance night." Shrugged Sheryl.

"Just because I'm a cheerleader doesn't mean I can't have standards. Besides, how would that look to my Grandma if I wound up dating someone like that?" Shrugged Caitlyn, slamming her locker closed now that she had her books that she'd been looking for while talking.

"Well, either way, I'll see you at practice." Melody waved at Caitlyn, hugged her little sister, then waved at the Dee twins before heading to her own classroom.

As the students began filing towards their various classrooms, a voice came over the intercom.

"Good moorning Gotham City High! The start of the week brings more tedious hours of learning throughout the day, but I hope to give a good rev to your engines with the news that it IS pizza day in the cafeteria! Make sure to get in line a-sap, to get the best slices, guys! And remember the pot lock Wednesday Night at six P.M. held by the Gotham Cheerleaders, all proceeds going to the Fight Against Cancer society, so bring your Pink, and a BIG appetite!" The voice was that of a young man, known as Gordon Witherspoon. "Before we continue, I've got some news from the Principal... Apparently frisbees and iPhones are banned in the hallways, and he reminds you to turn off all electronic devices such as iPads, iPods, et-cetera."

This news was met with a wave of boos from various students still in the hallways.

After that, Caitlyn tuned Gordon's morning announcements out as she entered her first class of the day- United States History- with Leia sitting next to her on her right. There were three people per desk usually, some desks had just two students to them.

* * *

><p>Barbara Gordon was an elderly woman, but her senses were still just as sharp as ever. While being the chief of police in Neo-Gotham City had kept her alert and wary, she still enjoyed her family time with her daughter and son, as well as her Granddaughter with whom she was incredibly well bonded to. As a small child, Barbara would tell Caitlyn stories of Batgirl and Bat Man's adventures when they were together- though of course, never revealing the fact that she was Batgirl.<p>

"How are things looking for the petitioning for the increase in Jail size, Lieutenant?" She looked over across the long oval table at a much younger man, tall, slim with short orange hair.

"So far so good. Wayne Enterprises has agreed to finance the expansion, and the paperwork should be filed tonight." He replied sharply.

"Good. And as for the Jokerz clan?" Barbara went on.

"Most of them were rounded up by Batman last month, but there's still the issue of their leaders..." Another man answered at once.

"You mean the red haired twins?" Blinked Barbara.

"Yes. They've been strangely quiet since August. We haven't heard a peep from them. It's our guess that they've decided to lie low until we forget about them."

"Which won't happen, Eric." Snapped Barbara. "We need the twins apprehended as soon as possible. Do you have any intel on them?"

"Yes... It appears that they are related to the infamous Harley Quinn, and the Joker himself. How we are not sure yet, but we hope to find out next time they resurface." Eric answered, looking at a clipboard.

"That will do to be getting on with. I believe you already have your assignments from yesterday to be completing?" She asked, rising, grabbing hold of her cane and leaning on it slightly before they all answered. "Good. I'll see you all at lunch to check on your progress."

"Are you coming to the after work dinner tonight, Madam Commissioner?" Asked one of her workers, hurrying after her.

"I can't tonight, I have a meeting with my family." Barbara shook her head as she walked to her office.

"Ah, it's a shame. Well, we still did get the dishes you prepared for the company meal, I'm sure it will be great as usual. I hear your granddaughter is poised to win her upcoming Martial Arts tournament."

"Yes, she's done very well. I'm still trying to get her to attend the school dances, but she says her socializing skills can only take her so far." Barbara smiled at the comment. "I have to go, I have some phone calls to make. I'll speak with you again later, James."

* * *

><p>It was the Physical Education class, and today Caitlyn had decided that she would join the track group, while most of the boys- including McGinnis she noticed- were on the football group. She was easily the fastest runner, having outrun the leader in the Track Team by several feet without breaking a sweat by the end of the first run.<p>

"You should really think about dropping Cheerleading and joining our team." Said Dahlia, a girl with dark brown skin, a lean runner's body, and black hair held back in a pony tail.

"That would make my life a bit more hectic than it already is." Caitlyn said apologetically with a shrug as they prepared for the next round. The girls in physical education all wore white t-shirts with v-necks, and shorts the shade of deep crimson, as well as plain white tennis shoes perfect for outdoor sports. While the boys all wore similar outfits as well. "Besides, I just do this for fun." She smiled, making sure her pony tail wouldn't slip out as she ran the next distance- this one half a mile, or halfway across the track.

When the starting gun was fired, Dahlia and Caitlyn were off and running. Caitlyn quickly overtaking the girl as the two of them left the rest of the track group behind.

During physical education, the Dee twins were in the Gymnastics group, enjoying the rigorous practice in the gym outfits as they swept through the air doing backflips or else swinging on the trapeze like they were born to do so, even impressing their coach today with a few new acrobatic tricks they learned in the last week.

Leia chose to be in the archery group, her skills with the bow and arrow were second to none in her class, as she fired off round after round, each time hitting the same point on the target. Her own golden blond hair was held back with a red headband that matched the shade of her shorts. She glanced across the field after gathering her arrows from the target and walking back to her post to see her friend tearing through the track, Dahlia barely able to keep up as Caitlyn was obviously in full concentration, in her element- which was doing anything physical.

With the end of Physical Education, the class returned to their appropriate locker rooms, changed back in to their original outfits, and went to lunch.

"Saw you with the archery group, really smooth moves today." Caitlyn said to Leia as they grabbed their lunch trays.

"Same goes to you, you must of beat a couple track records today. You were really tearing across the turf." Leia clapped her friend on the shoulder as McGinnis filed in behind them in the lunch row of students in front of the cafeteria's food counter.

"Well, at least I don't feel bad in having extras for lunch today... I mean, it IS pizza day after all." Caitlyn grinned mischievously as she requested two slices that day.

"You're lucky you can eat whatever you want and not get fat." Sighed Leia enviously. "I always have to watch my diet. I gain five pounds just looking at chocolate cake."

"Well, having so many hobbies DOES have it's advantages." Caitlyn was ignoring Terry behind them as was her usual routine. They were never rude to each other by any means, she just never said much to the guy.

Nobody noticed that the Dee twins were oddly absent that day from the lunch room, as they decided to do some looking up on the computers in the science lab while everyone was at lunch. The two had a strange feeling that day as they watched Caitlyn running across the track so swiftly without any sort of enhancements or splicing done to her body. They knew she was the granddaughter of the Police Commissioner, however there was something that was bothering them that they couldn't place.

* * *

><p>Sharon was busy looking up any information she could gather on the Police Commissioner, while Sheryl was looking up information on Batgirl, for some reason thinking the two were related.<p>

"Hey sis, look at this." Sharon said suddenly, coming across an article.

Sheryl hurried over, leaning over her sisters' shoulders to read the article, and her eyes went wide. It wasn't the article, but the image. It was of a much younger Barbara Gordon, with the same style of hair that Caitlyn had, though Caitlyn's hair was much darker- more like her father's.

"And look at this one..." Sheryl moved an image of the very first Batgirl over the younger Barbara Gordon. The hair matched perfectly, as well as the pose and facial expression.

"I think we just found some pay dirt... ya know what I mean, sis?" A mischievous, sly grin that would bring no joy to any onlookers came across Sharon's face. If anything, that smile seemed to turn the room cold, and dark for a moment as Sheryl stretched and yawned after an apparently long, boring day at school.

"We'll have to wait on it... I think Caitlyn said something about a family get-together this weekend. That'll be perfect, don'cha think?" Sharon also asked.

"I think so. We'll have to ask her about that again. It's been boring this last month without anything to do... I think this will make mom and daddy proud..." Sheryl nodded, putting some of her brilliant orange hair behind her ears.

* * *

><p>As Caitlyn sat at her usual table with the Cheerleader's Troupe in the center of the cafeteria, a tall blond man came walking over, which caused many of the girls to squeal in anticipation. A few looked disappointed when he bent over Caitlyn.<p>

"Hey, saw you leaving everyone in the dust earlier." He grinned, leaning between her and Leia- with whom she'd been having a conversation about the cheerleader tryouts coming up.

"Get lost, David. You know what the answer is." Snapped Caitlyn, knowing she sounded rude but not caring.

"HEY, come on! You'll look stupid going to that dance alone! I'm one of the top jocks in the football team, and you're the best cheerleader in the school... don't you think we'd make the perfect couple for the Spring Fling?" His blue eyes telling her that he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Too bad for you. Listen pal..." Caitlyn stood up, as most of the cheerleader squad was watching her- some with open mouths, forks halfway apparently forgotten. "For one, just because I'm a cheerleader doesn't mean I have to go out with some slob who's an egotistical freak with an undeserved God-Complex, and two I DO have morals." She pointed a rather strong hand in to his chest. "And another thing, I DON'T intend on dating people who are jerks with an undeserved sense of self-satisfaction when all they do is play football and try to sleep with every girl in school. Ass." She emptied out the remainder of her lunch- an empty milk container and plastic silver wear- in a nearby trash bin before placing the tray on the appropriate rack near the food as Leia shoveled the remainder of her pizza down, and followed her friend.

"Wow... way to tell that guy off!" She commented as she saw the Dee twins arriving in the lunch room- waved at them- and continued following Caitlyn.

"That felt good." Grinned Caitlyn. "He's been bugging me since Gordon made that stupid announcement a month ago about the Spring Fling about going with him."

She could hear the cheerleader group gabbing about how Caitlyn refused to go out with such a hot guy and wondering why she couldn't swallow her pride for once as being the Police Commissioners granddaughter and just go out with the guy.

After school, it was cheerleader practice for a full hour. The cheerleader troupe wore the uniform of a red mini skirt, a red tank-top lined with white around the v-neck, red flat bottomed shoes, and red and white pom-poms held in each hand as they practiced in the gym that afternoon. The bottom of the skirt was lined with a single white stripe, as well as the bottom of the tank top. It was time to practice the pyramid technique.

First was the bottom row which Melody, Darla Green- a tall strongly built girl with dark skin and black hair held up in a pony tail, as well as beetle black eyes- and two other girls known as Amber- a red head with so many freckles she looked like she had a tan- and Kina Lenne- a girl with unnaturally brilliant red shoulder length, wavy hair held in pigtails, and a heavy tan that covered her peach skin- lined up. Next was Leia and the Dee twins who were able to jump up without having to climb on the arms of the four girls on the ground, then two more girls who were named Jaina Sander- a smaller girl with short black hair and brilliant blue eyes as well as pale peach skin, and Emmaline Vance- another girl with wavy brown hair that was shoulder length, and who had a blue eye and green eye, as well as skin that looked like she spent a lot of time out in the sun. Then there was the top of the pyramid, which was Caitlyn, who was the lightest and swiftest of the group. She did a running jump from the other end of the gym behind her, and did a summersault in mid air before landing lightly on Emmaline and Jaina's shoulders.

After a few moments, the door to the gym opened up, breaking the girls' concentration, and they toppled over with several loud screeches and cries of surprise.

"What is it, Mr. Nickleson?" Melody groaned from the bottom of the dog pile.

"Sorry to interrupt your practice, girls, but Ms. Boardener, you have a call from your Mother. She says it's urgent." The black haired man wearing a black suit with a bold red and white striped tie said.

"Well, we only had five minutes left anyways. Good practice today, girls." Melody finally managed to untangle herself from the mess of cheerleaders.

"Yeah, if you can call being caught off guard like this a good practice, sure." Said Emmaline, looking rather grumpy as she stretched her leg, having landed in a weird way. "Jaina's timing was all off."

"ME? That was YOU, thank you very much." Snapped Jaina, outraged that she'd been blamed for the collapse of the pyramid again.

"Anyways, I think I'll go. See you girls later!" Caitlyn took the girl's argument as her cue to leave. Melody usually sorted things out without her intervention pretty well. Then again, that was why Melody was team leader and she wasn't. She'd never been too enthusiastic about taking up any kind of leadership position, even though she was offered the spot first two years ago, she opted out, which meant Melody took it as she had been the runner up in the competition. She was pretty laid back, even with everything going on in her life.

When she reached the Principal's office, she was handed the black phone that usually sat on the desk.

"Hi, Mom? What's up?" She asked.

"Hello dear, we need to talk. Can you meet me outside your school in half an hour?" Her Mother, Claire's voice came over the line, sounding perfectly cheerful, which perplexed Caitlyn even farther.

"Sure, 'll be there." She gave an unseen blink.

"See you in a bit, then." And Claire hung up. She was outside the suite building her family lived at, leaning against the wall, holding a small box in her free hand. She'd been intending to give this to her daughter later, but now just felt like the right time.

Half an hour later, Caitlyn had changed back in to the outfit she'd been wearing that morning before physical education class, or cheerleading practice. With her backpack slung back over her shoulders, she stood outside the school as a few straggler students who had hung behind for study school, or detention, slumped out of the building after her. She saw her mother, and gave Claire a swift hug before climbing in to the car.

"Hi Mom! It's been forever since I last saw you here." She grinned, her voice light so her mother knew she was joking. Especially since she saw her mother nearly every day of her life.

"Yes, well, I thought it was the perfect time I give you a little something, honey." Claire opened the back door of the car, showing Caitlyn to get in. She did so, and Claire closed the door once Caitlyn was settled in to the back seat of the car. Claire took the seat next to her, and the driver- her father- started ushering them in to the traffic filled streets of Gotham City.

It was then that Caitlyn noticed something on the floor of the car.

"Mom, what is that?" She pointed at the simple white box.

"That is what I want to give you." Claire bent over, grabbed it, and handed it to her granddaughter. "It's a bit of a family heirloom, if you will."

Caitlyn curiously opened up the box, which revealed something that she'd only ever seen her mother wear.

"Your bracelet? But I thought..." She took it tenderly from the box, and watched it gleam.

"Only the matriarch of the family can pass it on. It's been so for generations." Claire said. "But there's more to that bracelet than meets the eye. It's a symbol of responsibility and trust, to be giving it to the younger generation."

The bracelet fit around her wrist perfectly, and shimmered even when it wasn't in motion. It was made of diamonds mixed with Caitlyn's other favorite gemstones- the amethyst, emeralds and sapphires- making it a rather expensive family heirloom in the Gordon tradition.

"You cannot wear it all the time, obviously. It's for special occasions." Explained Claire, smiling at how pleased her daughter was.

Caitlyn turned her wrist around, and realized that the clasp of the bracelet was a small, golden...

"The Batman insignia?" She blinked. "Mom, what's that all about?" She pointed at it.

"You'll know in time, child." Claire patted Caitlyn on the shoulder.

* * *

><p>Nearby, unnoticed by the family, hovered a shadow in a black suit. He stared at the car down in the streets with a frown on his face.<p>

"I still don't get why you want me tailing the Police Commissioner of all people" Batman said in to his communicator that was connected to Bruce Wayne through the mask.

"Because. I'll explain later." Bruce responded in his usual curt way. He sat in the dark, shadowy Bat cave, observing all aspects of Gotham City. He'd received intel earlier that day that someone had hacked in to the Police Commissioners private files, and could use that against them. So he set the only source he had on the case of making sure no one upset the police system or the peace that had been so welcome in Gotham the last month. Now wasn't the time to fill Terry in on all the details. He'd probably find out on his own as it was. "Make sure you keep track of them." He added in a 'this is final' sort of tone.

Terry raised an eyebrow beneath his mask, but jumped from the building, the red bat wings unfolding and allowing him to fly above the traffic without being seen. So far it had been a perfectly normal day, boring as hell, but perfectly normal for a change. That didn't mean Bruce would ever be nice enough to give Batman a day off. As Bruce so often reminded the much younger man, he never took a day off when he was Batman, since evil almost never slept. However, at least Bruce didn't make Terry pull all nighters. He was even instructed to follow the Commissioners granddaughter at school when he could, which made him feel awkward since she apparently did not like him one bit.

Another thing Terry didn't get was why Bruce wanted extra security around the Police Commissioner and her family, when already her security was tighter than that of the Capital in DC. But when Bruce got that tone in his voice, Terry knew it would be pointless to argue with the elderly man.

He flew silently above the traffic filled streets of Gotham City, following the Boardeners' sleek black car as it made it's way to their home to drop off her daughter.

* * *

><p>"Mom, are Nana and Grandpa still going to be coming to our picnic at Gotham Central Park?" Caitlyn asked, looking at her mother, then up at the driver, who was her father. He had dark brown hair like his daughter's, though with a slightly receding hairline in the front, and lines of gray all over that emphasized the man's age. In regards to her grandfather, he was none other than Barbara's first boyfriend, Dick Grayson. Though for business purposes, Barbara still used her last name 'Gordon'.<p>

"Of course they are, wouldn't miss it for the world." Jonathan replied from the front. "You'd better get indoors, though. Heard there's a storm coming tonight. We'll go park the car, Sparks."

"Thanks for this Mom, I promise I'll take care of it!" Caitlyn raised her wrist, from which the bracelet gleamed. She hugged her, leaned forward and pecked her grandfather on the cheek before grabbing her backpack.

At that moment, there was a clap of thunder and flash of lightning, which was Caitlyn's cue to hurry indoors. She dashed up the steps in to the suite building where her parents' suite was set.

Instead of living in a nice house like Barbara and Dick, their children chose to live in a sprawling suite. They put down a lot of money turning one whole floor of the hundred story sky scraper in to their home, while still allowing people to use the elevators to get to their levels in the building. It was a quite home up towards the middle, and just as Caitlyn reached the revolving glass doors, she felt rain on her head. She glanced back in time to see her grandparents driving away, merging in to the traffic.

She turned back in to the building and after she got through the revolving glass doors, she had to pull out what looked like a small, black and blue credit card and swipe it through what appeared to be an electronic, small credit card swiper with a round speaker as well as a light above that speaker. But a green light lit up when she swept it through, a female voice answered.

"Welcome home, Ms. Boardener. Your parents are home, go ahead and head up."

"Thanks Jennie, tell Ted I say hi." Caitlyn replied to the building security manager.

Pausing because she heard her phone vibrating in her pocket, she pulled it out to see the Caller ID showing Leia was trying to get a hold of her, so she answered.

"How'd it go?" Caitlyn asked right off the bat, referring to the fight that had been going on just as she left to meet her mother. She saw her parents coming in and waved, mouthing that Leia had called when Claire raised an eyebrow at her daughter in question.

After a conversation with Leia over the phone, during which Leia explained all about the tension being near breaking point between Emmaline and Jaina, and how her older sister Melody managed to once again- with the help of Darla and Kina- managed to restore peace in the troupe before what she called the 'nuclear bomb' went off in the gym.

"I think I'm about to loose you-" Leia said. "I'm still in the car with Mom and Dad, I'll call you later after homework, 'kay?"

"'Kay. Talk to ya' later!" Said Caitlyn, giving an unseen smile as she hung up, her parents had long ago vanished up to their suite.

She hurried off through the first floor, which was an elaborate tiled room, with an open welcoming lobby, that had crimson couches spread out over a red carpet lined in thin faded gold. Paintings lined the wall where windows were absent, and the elevator walls were lined with hand carved, deep mahogany trim. When she stepped in to the elevator that led to the halfway point of the building- thus her home- she pulled out her cellphone. This was a tiny, purple and yellow thing, with a touch screen. She shot off a quick message to her mother that she'd be home in ten minutes, and her mother replied with another message telling her they were having beef stroganoff for dinner that night.

When she got to the suite, the storm was going full blast, and all the windows had been painted a dark, inky black shade because of the severity of the storm. Caitlyn hoped that it wouldn't last the rest of the week, otherwise that might cancel their plans in regards to going to the Gotham City Park that weekend as she slipped off her shoes.

"Hi mom! Dad!" She called as the door closed behind her.

Their suite took up the whole fiftieth floor, was a sprawling, open modern Gotham home, and she loved it. While it wasn't a house like her grandparents, to her, this was heaven on earth. The living room was the first room that was seen when a person walked in, and beyond that was the dining room. The living room was calming colors of dark purple on the walls, while the floors were light purple tiles. The carpets that the couches, coffee tables, and center table in the living area were purple, and very soft looking. There were cream colored pillows on the black leather couches, and a black leather recliner that her grandfather usually claimed was sitting on the left of the second couch.

The black framed pictures on the western wall closest to the door depicted the family, with Barbara and Dick in the center, Barbara's daughter- who inherited her mother's red hair color and style down to the last strand, while she inherited her father's eyes- and her husband, who was brown haired and hazel green eyed. Caitlyn's image was on the other side of her grandmother, and she had inherited Barbara's hairstyle and face, but her father's brown hair.

On the southern wall in the living room was a large, flat screen television, below that was a black stained bookcase, with a glass door as well as black magnetic latches in the center that held the doors together. And this case was full of DVD movies, with everything from The King of the Golden Ring: Extended Cut, to the Galactic Wars and Mutagenic Heroes and Heroines classics and some Japanese Anime titles that Caitlyn was rather fond of, such as Senshi of the Moon, Guardians of the Heart, and Guardians of the Moon: Reloaded- one of her favorite Crossover series made by a fan who got the legal rights to make it official.

She made her way through the living area, to the dining room. The table here was rectangular in shape, in the center of the dining room over a cream colored carpet. A china buffet was against the eastern wall between the two large, tall windows. The china gleamed by the city lights, casting small, random rainbows across the dining room. The walls here were white, to focus more on the furniture and the view while the family ate.

Through the dining room, to the kitchen. This was a long kitchen with gleaming appliances that were kept in immaculate shape and looked like new. The floor was a deep crimson linoleum tile with squares lined in pale gold. The cabinets were an earthy brown, while the dishwasher was black and gleaming, with a silver sink that had a large window over it that filled the room with faded and blurry city lights.

She looked around and saw her mother already busy ladling sour cream in to a stroganoff pan that was on the oven. She supposed since she had hung back talking on the phone with Leia, her parents had gone up via the elevators in the car lot.

"Need any help mom?" She asked.

"No, not really. Your dad and I got this." Smiled her mother. "Go put your things away and wash up hun."

Caitlyn hugged her mother as her father came in to the kitchen.

"Hey Sparks, how goes it?" He asked, holding three bowls of spinach salads.

"Not bad. I'll be back in a bit! How long 'till dinner's ready?" She asked.

"About thirty minutes." Replied her mother.

* * *

><p>Sharon and Sheryl had gotten home just before the storm hit, though far from gloomy, they loved this kind of weather.<p>

"Momma!" They called out, and a blond woman in pigtails came out.

"Hi sweeties, how are my girls doing?" Harley Quinn hugged her twin daughters.

"Doing good, momma." Sheryl hugged Harley back.

"Just fine, momma." Sharon imitated her sister. "When's daddy going to get back from that nut house?"

"Soon, I hope." Harley turned to lead her daughters through to the kitchen. This home was simple, though the décor was what most would consider unusual. With busts of the Heart from a deck of playing cards in the center of the table, and images all over the wall of their family, including the Joker himself in a straight jacket surrounded by the Dee twins, and being hugged by Harley herself.

"Momma, what if we told you that we found a way to get Poppa out of the nut house sooner than expected?" Asked Sheryl.

Harley stopped in her steps, and turned to look at her daughters with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh?" She said, a curl in her lips.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Caitlyn had changed in to a warmer outfit. She now wore blue jeans, a purple long sleeved sweater that was slightly too big for her, and purple fuzzy socks. She pulled out her iPod touch- which had a silicon purple and pink protective cover to it- and her headphones before withdrawing her history book and flopping on her bed. She'd tried begging to have video game or television time earlier at the dining table, but her parents talked her down from that mind set even if they did compliment her on the fact that she now wore her grandmother's prized bracelet.<p>

She had her phone nearby on the bed- which currently had a purple Afghan over the purple covers. This Afghan was not just purple, but had stripes of spring green, pink, and pale blue. It all seemed to blend together with how her grandmother had crocheted it together, and she'd had it since she was eight years old.

Her choice in music that evening was loud and violent sounding guitar tracks without any singing to it. It was enough to help her focus as she read her favorite subject first. Her homework took roughly three hours, by then it was seven o'clock in the evening. The subject she had the most trouble with was Algebra. She hated math in all it's forms, and she normally saved it for last unless there was a test. Fortunately, her teachers had been forgiving that week and were saving her tests for next week.

She yawned and stretched, the moment her father knocked on the door and entered.

"How's your homework coming along, Sparks?" He asked, walking over, seeing all the papers strewn over the bed as she switched tracks on her iPod. "Ah... mind if I help you out?"

"Thanks Dad..." She resentfully pulled out her math homework she'd just finished. "I just need you to check on how I did with Algebra today please?" She yanked her headphones from her ears in her sudden low spirits over the fact that he had come in to double check her math, especially since her track record with that particular subject in school was not exactly clean.

Her father sat down on the bed beside her, and pulled out his trusty point five black ink pen from his shirt pocket as she leaned over to watch him as he corrected her work for her. It was a long hour, going over the long division that she barely understood. And with more than a few tantrums of frustration involved on her end, it made for an even longer night.

* * *

><p>Out in the storm, Batman sat on the edge of a nearby balcony. Terry was glad that the suit was weather proof, otherwise this would make a miserable watch on the Police Commissioners' family.<p>

"How's it going?" Came Bruce Wayne's voice over the intercom in the mask.

"Nothing much happening tonight. I just checked in with old Barbara, she's doing fine, and her daughter and granddaughter are doing good too." Replied Terry, making it clear that he was bored out of his wits with no one attacking, and nothing to do but sit and wait for someone to make a move on this family.

"Well, that will do for tonight I suppose." Bruce replied, sensing the boy's restlessness. He wondered if he had ever been so impatient in the past as he called Terry back to the Bat Cave. "The big event we've got to look out for now is that family gathering this weekend. Till then, you can lie low, and only act if someone attacks." He explains.

"Good. Cause I'm tired of sitting in this rain wondering when I'm gonna be electrocuted by lightning." Retorted Terry, sounding rather annoyed. All he heard was a chuckle from Bruce in response.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: **

**The Shadow of Fate **

Saturday had finally arrived. It was a clear, crisp day in Gotham City with a brilliant blue sky that lit up the grounds below. The news press was surrounded around the Gotham City Park that afternoon, covering the event that Barbara and her husband were having with her family while staying respectively away from the family to let them have their fun.

Caitlyn was having fun showing off some of her martial arts moves combined with cheerleaders' skills, giving her parents and grandparents a preview of how she planned on winning the martial arts' competition next week. She enjoyed staying active on nice days, helping her parents lay out the food on the picnic blanket- a blue and white quilt her mother and grandmother put together when she'd still been a small child. Today she was wearing a purple t-shirt with a v-neck, and blue jean shorts that went to her knees, as well as white tennis shoes with a purple stripe around the bottom, purple socks, and her hair was up in its usual hair tie.

"Settle down there, sparky." Her father said, pulling her down to join them as they started dishing the food on to their plastic plates. Their meal consisted of barbecued chicken with a sweet and spicy honey sauce, home made macaroni salad, potato salad, and Caitlyn's personal favorite, white corn on the cob. She also had her favorite soda to drink that day- Diet Pepsi, and Mountain Dew: Code Red.

"I wonder where she gets her energy." Her mother said sarcastically, raising a brow at Dick.

"Don't look at me." He shook his head at once. Recalling his days in the circus that seemed so long ago, but thinking it best not to say anything.

"Honestly... can't you take the blame for one time in your life for this trouble maker?" Asked Caitlyn's father.

"Now James, just be glad she's not getting in to trouble all the time and she's found GOOD outlets for her energy." Smiled Barbara.

Several things happened in quick succession. There were several loud explosions in the park, and the sound of an engine as what looked like a golden hovercraft loomed overhead. Smoke billowed out from above the hovercraft as two small figures jumped down, and two large men wearing white clown masks landed on the picnic blanket, sending food and drink flying everywhere.

"What's going on?" Caitlyn could hear her mother coughing as the smoke blinded them.

The Jokerz gang moved quickly, but not quickly enough. For the moment after they had knocked out Mr. and Mrs. Boardener, and carried them aboard their craft, the bat-Kunai was thrown at them, paralyzing one as he jumped down.

"I normally don't do well in parks like this, but I think I can make an acceptation." Batman said, jumping in to the smoke covered scene. Luckily that did not impede his vision.

"Stay down, gramps!" One of the orange haired attackers said, the voice familiar to Terry, who narrowed his eyes at the twin girls as they pushed Dick Grayson down.

"Here's a little something for ya, Granny." The other orange haired twin- both with white painted faces like clowns- left an envelope at Barbaras' feet as Batman sent two more of his Kunai at them.

The girl who'd left the envelope for Barbara smiled sweetly at Batman, who was not amused.

"Nice to see you again, Bat boy. We'll just take our prize now and vamoose." She winked.

The moment he was sure Barbara and Dick were ok, he set off after the attackers. He activated the rocket powered boots, to give him a good lift off as he jumped, and landed on the craft.

"Hey, Lug." One of the twins said to the remaining heavy-muscled, bald clown-masked man as Batman landed smoothly on the edge of their hovercraft.

"Boo." He said, before the man called Lug made to punch him in the face.

* * *

><p>Caitlyn coughed as she woke up, her parents were still out cold on either side of her, she looked up to see Batman himself fist fighting with one of the men who had hauled her aboard the craft. At one point, the muscle man had Batman on the edge of the golden craft before Batman kicked him hard in the face. The clown faced man fell backward, but as Batman jumped well over him, he reached up and grabbed him by the ankle forcing Batman to face plant in to the hard metal of the craft.<p>

The thug made to swing Batman over the edge as one of the orange haired sisters flew higher above Gotham City, but Batman activated the rocket boosters at his ankles, thus burning the thug's hands and forcing the man to let go at once, and Batman kneed him in the face, sending the opponent flying off the craft.

"Sis!" The pilot called out.

"Got cha' back sis!" The other jumped up from her post guarding the family, unaware that the youngest had woken up already to witness the whole fight so far.

Caitlyn noticed something was familiar about these twins, their hair, and their outfits were similar to the Dees at her school. She had to duck as one of the girls flipped over her and aimed a kick at Batman. The pilot tilted the ship as it was flown wildly through Gotham City, and it was then that Caitlyn saw the shape and style of the craft she was in. The center part was circular, without any type of glass dome for protection, while the back was shaped like a three speared arrow jutting out from the back of the large circle where the controls for the hovercraft were set. The center-most part of the cockpit was black and gray, which made the orange haired twins stand out rather vividly, even the family's outfits could be well noticed against the black of the seats.

She saw that her parents were still nocked out, but she kept quiet. She knew it wouldn't do anyone any good if she was the type to scream her head off while being captured.

Batman had jumped over his orange haired opponent, and landed on the edge of the seated area where the family was tied up. Beneath his mask Terry blinked at the fact that the youngest of the trio had barely made a peep during this whole event. That moment was broken as a high heeled red boot collided with his back, and he spun around to ram his fist in to the girls' face.

The craft was now flying almost on its side, and the pilot was ever so grateful that they'd thought to buckle their hostages in just in case they would be attacked by Batman or anyone else that would pursue them.

The orange haired opponent saw the hit coming and flipped herself up on to the palms of her hands as her sister swerved wildly around a skyscraper, trying to throw Batman off the craft. The sister that Batman was fighting with flipped herself back to her feet while aiming her knee at Batman.

The next thing that happened forced Caitlyn to duck as Batman went flying backwards off the craft and the pilot set the ship right side up again before the fighter jumped in to the passengers' seat.

"Let's hurry, sis, before he catches us again." She said, and Caitlyn recognized her voice. Sharon?

"Looks like we've got a live one..." The pilot glanced at Caitlyn, who blinked and shrunk back in to her still unconscious parents.

"Sorry sweetie, but you're gonna have to go to sleep again." The sister that was standing waved as something smoke-like wafted over the family, and everything faded to darkness as Caitlyn felt herself slipping. The last thing she saw was the girl smiling broadly down at her.

* * *

><p>Barbara and Dick alerted the police at once to the kidnapping of their family even though they were aware that Batman was in pursuit. The news of the attack spread like wildfire over television and internet, and the fact that the family was being held for ransom by the Jokerz, who'd been quiet for nearly two months at this point, caught the attention of the school as well.<p>

Leia got the call from Barbara herself, since the older woman knew that the girl was Caitlyn's closest friend, just as she was watching the news report.

"Yeah, Madam Commissioner... I just turned on the news and saw it." Leia's voice was trembling as she turned the news up a little.

"No word yet on the location the Jokerz Gang or where they want the supposed ransom to be sent. Or what that ransom really is." The news reporter was saying. "The only news the Police are willing to give us is that shortly after the attack, Batman was seen in pursuit of the hovercraft the Jokerz have been known to use in the past during their heists. And that this is the biggest crime thus far that the gang has committed thus far. Tom?"

"Very disheartening indeed, Jonathan... Let us pray that the Commissioners' family can make it back home safe and unharmed..." The television went back to the main news caster.

"So Batman really is already on the case then?" Asked Leia to Barbara.

"Yes, and I'll keep you posted on what's going on as much as I can." Barbara gave an unseen nod.

"I see...ok, thank you, Madam Commissioner." And they cut the connection as Leia's sister Melody came in.

"Anything yet?" Melody asked at once, seeing the look on her sister's face, knowing that one of the people held hostage was her best friend.

"Nothing. But Barbara told me that apparently Batman was on the case already...like the moment it happened." Leia replied, looking up and seeing that Melody had brought Leia her favorite treat- Sour Cream and Onion Pringles.

"Got this on my way home. I told the girls what had happened." Melody handed her sister the canister while giving the obviously worried sick girl a one-armed hug. "I can only imagine what Nana Barbie is going through..."

"Nana Barbie" Is what most of Caitlyn's friends called the Commissioner when she wasn't on duty, Leia had only used the term Commissioner in case their phone lines were being tapped by the police at the moment, for security reasons.

It had been hours since they'd heard any substantial news on the situation, and they didn't know either way what was going on.

* * *

><p>At the abandoned Jolly Candy Factory where the Jokerz gang normally liked to hold their events, Caitlyn woke up finally to find herself tied to a pole with her wrists behind her back tied rather tightly by chains.<p>

Two figures stood just a few feet away, and they were the same girls who had aided in her capture earlier.

"Well, looks like sleeping beauty's finally awake sis!" Came one of the girls' voices from before.

Caitlyn also realized she was tied up alone on that pole.

"Where are mom and dad?" She demanded of her captors at once.

"Oh, you mean the two old geezers?" Asked the orange haired girl standing before her on the right.

"I think they had an accident on their way over here, didn't they sis?" The orange haired girl on the left said casually.

"Yeah... they went to sleep if I remember right." The other brought her finger to her lips in mock thinking.

"Where are they?" Caitlyn demanded again.

"You really wanna know?" Sneered the girl on the left. "Hey, Lug!" She called back.

Caitlyn heard the sound of a chain being pulled on a crane on the ceiling, and next thing she saw were two bodies tied with chains on the conveyer belt behind the girls. She had to turn her head away from the sight. It was too much, seeing them shot dead, lifeless and covered in blood, hanging from the ceiling conveyer belt by chains wrapped around their bodies, suspending them like lifeless dolls, or like the cattle after it had been killed and hung up at a slaughter house.

"I think momma will be proud of us... and poppa..." Smiled the girl on the right.

"I swear... when I get out of this, I'm gonna break your noses." Caitlyn's grief was beyond tears at that point, hearing that the twins obviously had no remorse for what they'd done. And it was obvious to her who they were by this point. What confused her was why they decided all of a sudden to commit these crimes, murdering two innocent people who never had anything to do with them. And as far as she was concerned, had always been kind and polite to the Twins.

"I don't know where you kids learned how to make parents proud, but you just earned yourselves a time out behind bars." Came Batman's voice from a window high up.

"Ooooh... The Bat's back, sis." Sheryl smiled gleefully.

"I can see that sis..." Sighed Sharon. "Tell me, how'd you find us?"

"I put a homing signal on your craft when I fell." Grinned Batman, jumping down from the window and landing.

"Ah-ah-ah..." Sheryl shook her index finger at him. "Get any closer and we've got the Commissioner's granddaughter poised and ready for her own timely exit."

"The pole she's tied to has a little joy buzzer that will go boom if you get too close." Smiled Sharon, holding up what looked like a regular remote.

Caitlyn's eyes went wide at the thought that she was tied to a literal vertical bomb.

Batman froze in his steps, and behind his mask, Terry was frowning.

"What is it you girls want so badly anyways?" He asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"Well... for one, that's really none of your business why we're doing this... And another... all we want is to see Daddy out of the loony-bin." Grinned Sheryl. "Right sis?" She looked at Sharon, who nodded with the same grin on her face.

"Is that why you killed two innocent people and are threatening to kill their daughter?" Batman was not amused by the light atmosphere the twins had brought to the situation. "Just so you can get your father out of prison? Why don't you go through the regular legal process like everybody else?"

"Because the legal process doesn't work too well when you're the offspring of the infamous Joker man...doesn't it sis?" Sneered Sharon, holding the remote firmly in her right hand and clearly visible to Batman.

"No, it doesn't sis. So we'd rather take a different approach... and one that will get results." Sheryl crossed her arms over her chest, leaning to her right as she stood there.

There was a moment's pause. Then Sheryl let out a sudden cry of surprise and rage as bat-a-rangs were aimed right at the remote, which then exploded the moment the bat-a-rang made contact.

"Dammit! Poppa did warn us about this punk playing cheap tricks on us." Sharon stared at the remnants of the remote before Sheryl's next cry brought her back to reality.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit girls?" Sheryl asked when Batman swung his fist at her face.

"Yeah, but mom also taught me not to put up with rule-breakers." Retorted Batman rather smartly as he blocked a kick from the girl's sister.

In the meantime, Caitlyn had worked herself up in to a standing position, ever grateful of her athletic careers at school that kept her fit and able to move around so well. And the fact that she had not been caught in her cheerleader's outfit that day. She watched as Batman's knee met with Sharon's midsection, sending the orange haired girl flying in her direction, landing on the ground at Caitlyn's feet. If Caitlyn could only move her wrist just so without spraining or breaking it, she'd be free. Then there would be hell to pay. And judging by the wide-eyed look of surprise on Sharon's face, they didn't expect her to be so resilient, or stubborn.

"Oh... by the way..." As Sharon stood up, Caitlyn brought her right knee up, bent toward the orange haired girl's face and made contact. "Don't come near me again." She said before kicking the girl to the side. She was glad that she wasn't a black belt in martial arts for nothing.

"Hostages aren't supposed to retaliate!" Sharon cried, catching her sister's attention as she bled from her nose.

"Sis!" Sheryl called out in dismay, dropping her guard. And that was all Batman needed before he sent an electrified Bat-a-rang at her. This sent electro-shocks throughout her body instantly upon contact, paralyzing her.

"It's over kids." Batman stood up, glad things had ended quickly as he went to untie Caitlyn from the pillar she'd been stuck to.

Caitlyn could hear the sounds of ambulance sirens getting nearer to the abandoned factory.

"How'd they get here without knowing where we were?" She blinked.

"I sent the signal to the Police Commissioner." Came Batman's reply as the chains came free.

"I see..." Caitlyn blinked as the next moment the factory was flooded in light when the doors were all swung open as the policemen swarmed the scene with their M-16's aimed at the disabled sisters and their large clown-faced co-conspirator.

She blinked suddenly, remembering something she wanted to ask Batman and turning to do so, but saw that he had already gone. She rubbed her wrists when she saw her grandmother and grandfather hurrying towards her while the policemen assessed the scene.

"There are two victims here, with one survivor." A man was saying in to a cellphone. "We need the C.S.I. team here at once." He added as two policemen for each of the twins put the orange haired girls in handcuffs.

"We were only trying to make mommy and poppa proud of us!" Sheryl was saying as they led her away.

"Are you ok?" Barbara asked her granddaughter as Dick looked at what had happened to Caitlyn's parents with narrowed eyes.

Caitlyn was obviously in shock about what had happened, Barbara could tell just by looking at her granddaughter. She wondered what on earth occurred for her granddaughter's face to be so white when she looked at her, and blinked as Dick moved toward the bodies that were now resting on the floor to identify them. Barbara was caught off guard when Caitlyn suddenly threw her arms around her grandmother, now one of two living family members she had left.

"It's going to be all right." Barbara gave her granddaughter a one-armed hug as the girl sobbed in to her shoulder. The older woman's own heart was breaking as she looked over her granddaughter's shoulders seeing the bodies and having no problem in telling who was who. But she was glad that Dick was taking charge of the situation. She could feel Caitlyn trembling slightly, and knew she had to have been terrified even though apparently she'd kept a strong face during the whole situation.

* * *

><p>Barbara did not say much to Caitlyn that day, knowing there would be little that could be said to console the young woman at this point. She didn't have to go in to details about how her mother and father died, she'd been there to witness it from the reports that were given after Caitlyn had been interviewed. And Barbara understood that she owed her granddaughter's life to Batman now, and Bruce. Since it was obvious who gave Batman the tip to have her family watched should something like this happen. She sat with her granddaughter in silent support for a while, not wasting time with useless words, while they waited for the twins explanation as to why they did all of this in the first place, with Dick helping in the interrogations.<p>

Finally Dick came back with the official report after hours of sitting in the police station. By this time, Caitlyn had fallen asleep on the bench they'd been sitting on. Her own grief was beyond tears, having been so close to her parents then to have them taken from her like that, so her face was not tear-stained. It was obvious to Dick, though, that his granddaughter was stressed, possibly even threatening to fall in to depression, because of her lack in conversation and her sudden drop in energy. Apparently she'd only eaten something because her grandmother made her.

"What are we going to do?" Dick asked Barbara, who looked up at her husband.

"Isn't it obvious? We are going to have to take her in." She sighed.

"Yes, but I mean about this case? There are things that don't make sense to me, Barbie..." Dick sat down on her other side. "Here..." He handed Barbara the clipboard, which she took with a nimble hand and read.

"Yes... the Joker twins' account does match up with what Caitlyn said... But I see your point. Something tells me this goes beyond the Joker..." She rubbed her temples. It had been a long day, full of tragedy, the horrible thought that if not for the Batman she might have lost her granddaughter as well as her daughter and son-in-law. But now there was the question of how did the Joker Twins find out that she had been the original Batgirl, and why did they think they could get away with using her family as ransom? It had been a good thing that no one found out about Dick Grayson being the original Robin, then Nightwing. She didn't want to think about what would happen if anyone found out about that. She glanced over at her granddaughter, and now only surviving family member of the younger generation as a thought occurred to her. "This incident is deeper than it looks... I agree with you on that honey... But..." She looked sideways at her granddaughter, finally fast asleep on the bench.

She had hoped never to have to tell anyone who she was in the past. She'd managed to go on so many years, never even mentioning to her own daughter that she'd been the original Batgirl, letting her daughter live a peaceful, normal life marrying the cartoonist of the Gotham City daily newspaper. Now Caitlyn's future seemed uncertain, at least to outsiders. When both Barbara and Dick came to the same conclusion without actually saying it aloud. The girl would have to be told, about everything. And soon, before the Dee Twins escaped or were set loose on bail.

"I'll make the arrangements." Sighed Dick when he saw the conclusion being drawn on his wife's mind, just by looking at her, plain as day as another man approached them.

"We won't be needing anything else from you tonight, Commissioner. Why don't you go home and try to get some rest now?" It was Eric.

"Thank you. I think we'll do just that. It's going to be one hell of a day for the press tomorrow anyways." Barbara nodded, taking her cane and standing up after her husband left to get the car. She shook her granddaughter's shoulder, until she woke. "Come on, kiddo. You'll be staying with us from now on." She smiled kindly as Caitlyn sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Caitlyn didn't say anything to the people that she passed as she walked with her grandmother out of the police station, to the sidewalk where Dick had the car waiting for them.

"We'll have your things sent to our place. You can stay with us until you're old enough to live on your own in a couple of years." Barbara said as the pair stepped in to the back seat of the car. "Your parents listed us as your legal guardians should anything happen..."

"Will I get the room I usually stay in during my longer visits with you?" Asked Caitlyn, feeling too worn out and in shock to really argue about moving in with her grandparents.

"Yes." Replied Dick, glancing back from the drivers' seat.

Caitlyn sighed. At least she wasn't going to some orphanage, or to an aunt's house. This she could live with. Plus, she was closer to her friend Leia, and the school now.

"If you don't want to go to school tomorrow, after what happened, we'll understand, hon." Barbara looked sideways at her granddaughter.

"No... Mom and Dad wouldn't want me to miss school, for anything. I'll still go." She smiled back at her grandmother, who blinked.

Barbara was privately impressed with how strong her granddaughter was, not succumbing to tears during this tragedy. Though she knew Caitlyn was still visibly depressed. She wasn't as energetic as she almost always was, like her grandfather had been at that age. And she barely said anything unless she was spoken to. It concerned Barbara, but hopefully all of that would change by the end of the day tomorrow. It seemed to her that the shadow of fate followed her family, no matter what generation it caught up to in the end.

* * *

><p>The elderly Bruce Wayne sat in the dark Bat cave with his arms crossed over his walking cane as usual, watching Gotham City on the computer monitors, a frown on his face as Terry returned from the mission, stripping off the mask of Batman as Ace the Bat hound walked up to him, wagging his tail.<p>

"At least they didn't get away this time." Bruce said, in regards to the Dee twins.

"How'd you find out they'd hacked in to the Commissioner's files?" Terry asked.

"I had several security measures placed around the perimeters, so when they went off-" Bruce shrugged as if to say 'the rest was history'.

"Blows me away that the Jokerz actually did something more than the usual theft or burglary." Said Terry, now holding his backpack. He saw that Bruce was standing up and making for the exit. "Where are you going?"

"I have some errands to run." Was all Bruce said.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: **

**Believing the Truth **

When Caitlyn woke the next morning, it took her a while to remember why she felt so miserable. She was in the bed she normally slept in during over night visits at her grandparents place, but now this would be her permanent home. At least until she was nineteen when she could move back in to the suite she'd grown up in.

She sighed, and grumbled a little as she struggled to untangle herself from her bed sheets. Since apparently she'd been having nightmares that night. It was a good thing that she rarely remembered her dreams, otherwise she wouldn't be able to focus during the day. And focusing was hard enough for her right now as it was.

Caitlyn decided wore a purple v-neck sweater today, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes as it was a slightly colder day. Her brown hair was held back with a violet headband, and she had her backpack slung over her shoulders in her usual manner. There was also the bracelet that her mother gave her the day before she was killed, and she decided to wear it out of respect of her parents.

Looking at herself in the mirror, it was hard for her to imagine life without her parents at the moment. She half expected them to be outside in the kitchen, her mother working on breakfast while her father worked on his latest sketch for his cartoon in the papers. She hoped this was all an illusion of sorts, that when she closed the door behind her, this room would fade away to reveal she was really still in the suite she'd grown up in. That things would be the same.

She didn't think of her friends as she brushed her hair, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at herself in the mirror directly across from it. All she saw was a pale, groggy Caitlyn staring vacantly back at her, with a tear stained face. She normally was not one to cry or give in to pain. But this was different. And she figured that if no one saw her crying, it all would be ok in the end, and she wouldn't have to endure comments about being weak or not having the nerve to handle a funeral in the near future.

"Caitlyn, you'd better come out and have some breakfast before you head out to school."

Her grandmother's voice reminded her that this was all very real, none of this was fake. And with a jolt, she felt her heart feeling as though a hand were squeezing around it, her hand give a slight jerk when she was just finishing brushing her hair.

"Coming, Nana." She said, keeping her voice cheerful and calm as possible.

Taking several deep breaths to calm herself again, she grabbed her back pack and went to join her grandparents to enjoy the first of many meals together.

"Cate!" Leia saw Caitlyn walking the street not from her parent's home, but from her grandparents.

Caitlyn turned to see Leia running towards her, the blond girl's face white with worry, eyes red from obvious crying.

Leia wore a light green sweater, and dark navy blue jeans that day, while her own tennis shoes had a green stripe around the bottom. Her hair was tied back in to two braids that hung low over her shoulders.

"Leia! Sorry I didn't call you yesterday..." Caitlyn smiled as Leia hugged her tightly, sounding as casual as she could manage even though her voice was still slightly strained.

"Cate, I was so worried! It was all over the news, and Nana Barbie called...And...And..." Leia pulled back, fresh tears in her normally brilliant blue eyes. It had been clear that she'd been bawling her eyes out over the incident, which concerned Caitlyn. "I'm just glad you're ok!" She made sure not to mention Caitlyn's parents, as her sister had advised that night.

"Don't worry about me, Leia. At least you didn't get involved, otherwise you most likely would've been killed just for being there. You heard what the report said on why those Twins killed my parents? The same would've happened to you, so I'm glad you were safe." Smiled Caitlyn, noticing that many of their classmates were staring at her as they walked by, all either wore looks of stunned shock that she'd come back the very next day after such a tragedy, or concern and clearly wondering if she was really ok. "Did news about what happened really spread that fast?" She blinked as they walked in to the school.

"Oh yeah, Mel sent out the fog horn to the troupe, and then it just ballooned from there. We weren't really expecting you to be back at school today in all honesty." Sniffed Leia, rubbing her bloodshot eyes. "We thought you would need time to take care of the shock of it all."

"Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted me to put my life on hold for this... but Nana is forbidding me from any after school activities for a while..." Shrugged Caitlyn as they paused in front of their lockers. She scratched the back of her head as Melody approached them.

"Not really surprising." Said Melody, having overheard them. "But I do hope you'll be here for cheerleader tryouts at least. Gotta find two new girls for the troupe. And it wouldn't seem right without you!"

Caitlyn blinked in surprise at her opinion mattering so much to Melody, the leader of the troupe in the first place.

"Yeah. Turns out the Dee Twins were the ones responsible for the murders, so they won't be able to come back to school for quite a while. Gotta love Gotham City... never a dull moment." Shrugged Emmaline, who had come over to the trio.

"Hey, is it true that Batman turned up?" Asked Melody, and Caitlyn nodded, still pondering how the Dee Twins could've gone so bad without anyone noticing anything. She didn't hear the crazed fangirl squeals in response to that simple act of nodding to Melody's question. Still pondering the facts about the Dee Twins and the depth of their madness. She wasn't really surprised, she'd been at the police station and watched as the Dee Twin's faces were revealed as all the make-up they'd worn was wiped clean. She knew the people who'd killed her parents were behind bars. But that did nothing to abate her anger or her grief. She just buried those emotions since she knew it would get her nowhere right now, as she grabbed her books out of her bag, pens and notebooks from her locker.

Leia then tapped Caitlyn on the shoulder, and when Caitlyn looked over, Leia pointed behind and she saw Terry McGinnis approaching.

"Hey, heard about what happened." Terry said with a wave.

"You and everyone else." Caitlyn replied coldly, well aware that the young man was a friend of her grandmother's through Bruce Wayne. But that didn't mean she had to like him. "Why don't you get lost, McGinnis? There's probably another street brawl you could get in at lunch or something." She turned back to her friends.

"Ouch. Just wanted to see if everything was ok." He shrugged. "But it looks like you and that whip of yours are just fine. Tell your grandma I said hi." He backed off when he saw the glare from Caitlyn's green eyes and went to rejoin his friends. He was somehow strongly reminded of how cold Barbara had been when he first took the mantle of Batman, when he received that rather rude treatment from Caitlyn. He wasn't really offended though, as he remembered the events which took place just the day before. He didn't know if he should be impressed or disturbed at the fact that it looked as though she'd not shed a single tear for the death of her parents, and kept plowing on through life without loosing grip on reality.

* * *

><p>When Caitlyn returned home from school later that day, she was exhausted and taking a long drink from her diet pepsi bottle she'd gotten from the soda machine in the cafeteria right after the last bell rang. She had not heard from her grandparents all day, and just assumed they were busy with work, and getting things ready for her parents' funeral. She didn't notice that the lights were still turned off in the house as she wiped sweat from her forehead, but she flipped the lights back on as she walked through the house that would be her home for the next three years.<p>

She saw a note on the refrigerator written by her grandmother-

_Expect a visitor after school. We'll be home after six. Love Grandma + Grandpa. _

As Caitlyn looked in the pantry for something to snack on, she heard a knocking on the door and figured that must be the visitor. She left the pack of oreos on the counter top, kicking her backpack underneath the dining table as she went by, and unlocked the door before opening it. Her green eyes went wide in surprise.

"Mr. Wayne!" She exclaimed, jumping a little in her surprise at receiving such an important guest in this household. It had been a long time since she'd seen the elderly man, who now stood on her doorstep wearing his usual black suit. And standing behind him was none other than McGinnis.

"You didn't tell me this was who you were visiting." Terry looked rather unamused, considering he rarely got along with the girl that had greeted them.

"I was close to Barbara's family for a while. So the least you could do is show her granddaughter some respect." Snapped Bruce. He then turned back to Caitlyn, who still wasn't quite sure what to think about having the multi-millionaire tycoon on her doorstep.

But she did like the fact that Bruce seemed to be one of the few people who could keep McGinnis quiet...At least for a while.

"Well, why don't you come in? I could make some coffee if you like..." She said, stepping aside.

"Thank you. But I prefer milk, if it's available." Bruce and Terry both walked in. "How've you been since yesterday?" He asked as he settled himself on a recliner in the living room.

"I've been ok..." Shrugged Caitlyn from the kitchen which could be clearly seen from the living room. "I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset about what happened to mom and dad but there's not really much I can do about it now." She handed a cup of milk to Mr. Wayne.

"They were good people. I watched your mother grow up in to a very powerful person in the law firm." Nodded Bruce, taking a drink of the milk. "It was hard watching what was happening on the news."

Caitlyn decided she couldn't ignore McGinnis forever and looked up.

"Do you want anything?" She asked.

"Soda if you got one." He shrugged and she went to the fridge, glad that her grandparents had a rather healthy stock of soda beverages for her, so she handed one to him.

"So what are you going to do now?" Asked Bruce, watching the young girl with his steely eyes.

"Dunno. Never really planned far enough ahead to think about a future without my parents..." She scratched the back of her head as she thought.

"Have you thought about looking deeper in to why the Jokerz group attacked your family in the first place?" Bruce pressed the subject.

"Looking deeper in to it?" Caitlyn blinked at the old man. "Are you suggesting there's more to that case than meets the eye, Mr. Wayne?"

"Smart girl." Smiled Bruce. "Yes, being a friend of your grandmother's, I decided to do a bit of digging myself a few weeks back when I first got wind that something was amiss in the Police Commissioner's office. During one of the Jokerz' earlier heists, they'd stolen something that at the time seemed inconsequential..." Bruce paused to take another drink of the coffee while it was still warm.

"What was that, Mr. Wayne?" Caitlyn was staring intently at the elderly man.

"Security codes to the Police Commissioner's personal files. So I had extra security set up to at least delay the hackers and be able to track them." Bruce replied.

Terry watched the two talk, for once keeping quiet. He wondered what on earth Bruce could be up to, coming to talk to Caitlyn like this the day after her parents had been killed. When most likely Caitlyn would rather be left alone to manage herself. From what he remembered, Caitlyn could handle herself rather well. Even if she was looking rather upset at the moment.

"So what you're suggesting, Mr. Wayne, is that there could be someone from within Grandma's foundation that weakened security enough for the Dee twins to hack in to her files..." Caitlyn's mind was going rather fast at the moment. Mr. Wayne had got her thinking. How HAD the Dee girls managed to hack in to her grandmother's personal files and found out something that was worth the lives of two people if they didn't get their father out from the nut house in the first place? "How did Batman get on the case so quick anyways?" She asked when another thought struck her mind. "I mean... you seem to know everything that goes on in this city, after all, Mr. Wayne. I mean, if not for Batman, things could've been a lot worse than they were..." Her eyes were narrowed, and rather than being as pale as she had been for the last two days, her face was full of color and interest the more they spoke together. Bruce Wayne was certainly an interesting old man, she figured.

Terry was watching Caitlyn talking with Bruce, glad that at least here she couldn't send snide comments at him or push him away as she normally would have done if they were at school, or anywhere in the public. He was not sure he liked the reaction she had to Bruce's comments and hints about her families' death, but he kept quiet knowing how nasty Bruce could get if he was interrupted.

Bruce couldn't help the cocky little smirk that curled his lips behind his cup of coffee.

"That, I couldn't tell you even if I knew." He said unblinkingly. "Though I do agree that his help was essential. I would suggest maybe looking a little deeper in to the true meaning behind their deaths. But that is only up to you, of course."

Caitlyn blinked at the elderly man, then over at McGinnis, who shrugged as if to say 'don't look at me'.

"Thank you for the milk." Bruce set the cup down on the coffee table as he took up his cane again. "I've made sure my schedule is clear so I can attend their funeral." He looked over at Terry. "Let's get going."

"Sure." Said the younger man with a shrug, making sure to take his soda with him.

"Thanks for stopping by, Mr. Wayne." Caitlyn said as the two headed for the door. "Feel free to come by any time."

"I'll keep that in mind. Take care of yourself." Smiled Bruce as she held the door open for them.

When the door closed behind them, Terry finally spoke up.

"Why'd you have to come here? She looked like she was completely upset by what you were telling her." He said as they walked down the steps.

"Is that what you saw?" Bruce asked the younger man. "That's not what I saw when I looked at her."

"What then?" Asked a slightly annoyed Terry.

"Anger... And determination." Said Bruce in his rather simple manner. "She is not Barbara's granddaughter for nothing... Remember who Barbara used to be, Terry..."

"Tell me you're not trying to start a feud or something..." Terry moaned as he sat in the driver's seat of the car.

"Better than having some punk breaking in to the Bat Cave and stealing the Bat Suit." Grumbled Bruce in response.

"You STILL haven't forgotten that? I thought by now you'd at least have let that go..." Terry's eyes went wide at the mentioning of how he had become Batman in the first place a year ago. "Wouldn't it be better to leave the case to the police or me?"

"But the Police and Batman can only take this so far." Replied Bruce as he sat in the passengers' seat.

* * *

><p>Caitlyn sat back at the dining table, crossing her hands and resting her chin on them as she thought about what Bruce had informed her on. She leaned back in her chair, having forgotten about her homework from school, as she considered her options. Her grandmother was hiding something about herself, but it wasn't like she could just barge in to the office and start demanding the truth. If something were to be done in regards to digging deeper in to the truth as to why she and her parents had been targeted, she had to find a different means of getting information out of her grandparents.<p>

When her grandparents arrived back home that evening, Caitlyn saw already that something was different. Not only did her grandmother hold a box which told her it held some kind of clothing, their expressions were that of people who were resigned to something which would have only come to light in the worst of circumstances.

"What sounds good for dinner tonight, honey? We can have whatever you want." Asked Barbara.

"How about we have pizza?" Asked Caitlyn at once. It was her favorite, after all.

Dick blinked, then chuckled.

"Hawaiian, right? Extra pineapple and cheese?" He asked as he went to the phone and picked up the receiver. He ordered from the restaurant that he knew his granddaughter loved best in all of Gotham City, and asked for it to be delivered to their place that day instead of them going to pick up the order.

"I see someone's been in to the oreos and soda already today." Blinked Barbara, the evidence clearly on the dining room table.

"Yeah... sorry about that. Mr. Wayne dropped by and I kind of forgot to clean up." Caitlyn looked rather embarrassed, hurrying to clean up the mess.

"Ah, I thought he might visit today." Nodded Dick as he counted the money, pulling out the bills from his wallet. "How did it go?"

There was a pause. Then Caitlyn told them what they'd discussed.

"Nana, I think this goes deeper than the investigators at the police station want us to believe." She said at the end. "Is there something I need to know? Why were my parents killed? What did the Dee twins really want?"

Barbara and Dick looked at each other. This was clearly not what they were expecting.

"Do you really want to know the truth, dear? Because once you know, your life will never be the same again... and you'll never be able to turn back." Barbara looked at her granddaughter, who blinked stubbornly but nodded in response. The elderly woman sighed. "Then follow me... Dick, would you mind waiting up here for the pizza?"

"Not at all, Barbie..." He answered, using his own nickname for his wife.

Barbara adjusted the box in her left hand while gripping the cane in her right.

The house was a large two story home, and it was usually very tidy considering the amount of money that Barbara made as Police Commissioner of Gotham City. The floor was a carpet and a deep shade of emerald. The walls were white, but to balance things out, there were pictures in black frames in the hallway that led to the basement. Caitlyn remembered visiting this house since she had been a small child, and she knew it like she knew the suite she'd grown up in. The dining room was on the western side of the home, just to the left of the kitchen which was currently flooded in the orange light from the blazing sun outside. The floor of the kitchen was linoleum tiling, this being emerald checkerboard style with the squares lined in pale gold. The furniture in the living room, which was on the eastern end of the house, was black leather while the tables were deep mahogany and the coffee end tables on either side of the two couches in an L shape were mahogany and glass. The lamps were faded gold bronze, and the television that was mounted on the wall was a large, flat screen. There was a book case on either side of the television, full of books and DVDs. There was a potted plant in an emerald ceramic pot in each corner of the living room the biggest being on the end with the television. And in the center of the room was a large table with National Geographic magazines, a pile Gotham City Times newspapers, a florescent lamp, and a cribbage board with a pack of cards.

Though the home was fairly modern, it had the feeling of being lived in for generations. It was welcoming to Caitlyn right now. Some parts where her parents normally inhabited still felt to her as though they were still there in a strange sense. The dining table was large and round, while there were two buffets in the dining room against the wall to the left of the table full of everything old sets of china, to rare collectable birds of prey, like the Eagle or Crow. And a shelf on the opposite wall held medals of honor that the elderly couple had earned over the years, kept shining and glimmering as though it had just been placed there.

As the pair moved from the kitchen to the hallway, Caitlyn looked around the all too familiar scene. Pictures of their family lined the walls on either side of them, all framed in black. She could see her mother as a small child, and Barbara and Dick looking much younger than they were now. She stopped walking when Barbara had passed the staircase that led up to the bedroom level of the house, and was at a door that Caitlyn had never before been allowed to go through. She clearly remembered being caught several times either by one of her parents, or one of her grandparents while she was growing up, trying to sneak in to the room beyond the door.

She was surprised when she saw Barbara pulling out a key, and unlocking the door.

A second later, Caitlyn's eyes were nearly dazzled as Barbara turned on the lights. She then saw a small, narrow stair case that led down to what she had expected to be a regular basement. Instead, Caitlyn's eyes went wide and she felt her mouth fall open.

All along the walls were computer screens, and panels below those computers with knobs and buttons that looked far beyond the technological advances of their time. There was the wheel chair that she'd seen her grandmother in when she was still a small child sitting before the computer panels.

"Nana...what?" Caitlyn stared at what she saw, and looked at the older woman as she walked up to the computer panels, pressing a button. She looked as screen after screen came on.

"Long ago, before you were born, I used to help Batman from this post. While I may not have a Bat Cave like he did, I was still just as efficient." Barbara said, looking up at the screens as she placed the box on an empty panel that didn't have a keyboard. "At least, before the incident... I was just as valuable an ally as Robin, or Catwoman."

"Grandma... Are you saying... You were...?" Caitlyn walked up beside her grandmother, as she opened the box and Caitlyn saw what was in it.

"I was the original Batgirl, Caitlyn. And your grandfather was the Robin of that age. His family had been killed during a horrible incident... We met shortly after. But years later, when I was shot by the Jokers' wife, Harley Quinn, I was paralyzed for a time. So I helped your grandfather, who had by then become Nightwing. And when she came of age, your mother was the next Batgirl." Barbara pulled out the suit that was in the box.

It was hard for Caitlyn to absorb all of this information. Her grandmother had been the original Batgirl, and then her mother! She stared, blinking, her mouth hanging open as she gaped at what her grandmother held out to her. It felt as though she'd been through an ice cold car wash, buffeted about here and here, still cold on the inside as she tried to digest all of this.

There was a dark purple, nearly black leather mask with white almond shaped spots at the eyes lined in yellow. Slits for the nose, and the ears were long, and pointed like blades. She set the mask aside and pulled out gloves that cut off at the elbow and wrist, trimmed in yellow. From the outside on each glove were two more of the blade like spikes exactly three inches apart, but two feel long. The suit itself looked skin tight, and made from a combination of leather and spandex. It too was dark purple, nearly black. There was no cape, Caitlyn saw, but on the front at the chest was a canary yellow bat insignia that stood out vividly among the darkness of the main outfit. The sleeves were the same shade of dark purple, as were the legs and waist. The boots were high heeled and made of the same fabric, knee length and if not for the fact that they were trimmed in same shade of canary yellow as the bat insignia, gloves and around the eyes of the mask, she wouldn't be able to tell they were a different part of the outfit. The top of these boots were lined with a triangle shape, cut down the center about three inches in the form of side ways crescents. At the very bottom of the box was revealed a belt held together with a canary yellow bat-a-rang used as a belt buckle. The utility belt itself was gun metal silver.

"With the situation being as it is... I can hardly put on this suit and prance in to the police office demanding whoever killed my daughter and son-in-law to come forward. It would take someone much younger, and much more suited for this kind of activity to be able to pull this off." Barbara turned back to face her granddaughter, leaning against the panels, her hands resting on the cane she used to walk with. "I hoped you would never have to take up the mantle and responsibility of being Batgirl... I wanted you to live a normal, peaceful life. But it seems that fate will not let that happen... if you choose to accept this suit... You accept a different lifestyle than what you have been raised to accept."

"Grandma... You mean you WANT me to...?" Blinked Caitlyn, her throat feeling so constricted that she could not finish the sentence. All that had happened that day since she got home from school had her mind spinning. "But...I thought you WOULDN'T after what's gone down..."

Barbara had a steely glint in her eyes. Despite her age, the look still made Caitlyn back up a little.

"Just because my family was murdered by those close to the Joker does NOT mean I do not want something done about it. While Batman's help was essential to your survival, Cate, I feel that something more should be done to ensure this never happens again. You've seen how inadequate the police are in handling these situations." Barbara said as Dick came in a short while later with the large pizza in his hands and a soda as well as plates with plastic forks balancing on top of the pizza delivery box.

"So what do you say? As Caitlyn Boardener, you cannot get very far in this investigation. But as Batgirl, you could change the out come of this situation." Dick said, putting a couple of slices of the pizza on a plate and handing it to Caitlyn, who took it, still quiet and thoughtful looking as she stared at the Batgirl suit.

"Didn't you have a cape or something?" She asked her grandmother, who smiled.

"That was a long time ago. The former Batman has that suit now. I made this one before Dick retired from his role as Nightwing, and kept it in a safety deposit box until the day I would need it. Besides, capes and cloaks went out of fashion years ago." Barbara shrugged. "I won't let my granddaughter be laughed at when she's trying to save her city."

"So... if I become Batgirl... will you be helping me?" Caitlyn looked at Barbara as she took a bite out of her pizza.

"No... I still have my duties as the Police Commissioner of Gotham City to attend to. Dick will be your mentor while you are on the field." Barbara looked over at her husband, who nodded as he handed her a slice of pizza on a plate with a plastic fork. "I will help out when I can, though. It would be too suspicious if I suddenly stopped my life long work with the Police and you appeared on the scene."

"It'll be just like the old days when I was showing you my tricks I learned at the circus." Dick winked at his granddaughter. Only the stakes will be much higher now, of course." He added, now munching on his own slice of pizza.

"You do not have to decide right away... This is a big decision to make. However-" Barbara was interrupted.

"NO. I want to become Batgirl." Caitlyn said at once. "Batman didn't do a good enough job on the situation when my parents died. If he'd really been trying, they would still be alive." Her eyes were narrowed as she said what had been on her mind since she came to live here. She finished off her second slice of pizza.

"Then you'll need to try on the suit first, to make sure it fits." Barbara was surprised at how quick her granddaughter had come to that conclusion. So she blamed Batman, not the Dee twins, for the death of her parents?

"Right." Caitlyn took the suit and went upstairs, setting her plate down on the pizza box before leaving. As she changed, she found she rather liked the feel of it. It seemed to conform to every curve of her body, and when she put on the mask her hair bunched up in the back, and she saw that she had full visibility despite the fact that the mask covered her whole head, she liked the feel as she stepped back in to the computer room.

"Not bad." Barbara nodded.

'Not bad' was a bit of an understatement, in Dick's opinion. He thought he was looking at a clone of his wife, minus the lack of red hair and cape.

"The first lead you need to check out are a couple of my employees... Eric Johnson, and James McDonald." Said Barbara.

"Anything about this suit that I should know?" Asked Caitlyn, flexing her fingers and looking at them.

There was a pause as Barbara considered this question.

"The suit will magnify your strength ten fold, and it is virtually indestructible." She replied. "You'll be able to breathe underwater, withstand electrocution, it's fire proof, and your utility belt has virtually everything Batgirl will need while fighting. The feet of your suit have rockets that will activate at will, and are magnetically charged so you can stand on any surface, upright or other wise. There is a cloaking device that will make you invisible when you need to act in stealth. And the suit has wings that can be activated when you need to fly. Don't worry about gracefulness right away, there will be time for proper training after you complete this first mission." She added.

"Sweet." Caitlyn said with a smile beneath her mask as she found out the fingers of the suit could extend in to claws. "In other words, I can kick some serious ass now in this outfit."

Dick burst out laughing at this statement, while Barbara raised one of her eyebrows with something resembling a bit of a smirk was on her face.

"We'll just have to see how much ass you can kick when you actually get out on the field. Which will be now. Don't worry, we'll save you plenty of pizza for when you get back." Dick said.

While it was still incredible for her to believe, that her grandparents and her own mother had once been some of her favorite super heroes, and now she was Batgirl, she nodded.

"There's also a two way communication system between the Bat suit and the Command Center here. So we'll always be able to be in touch, so long as you keep that mask on. Never take it off." Dick instructed his granddaughter as she turned from them. "Your identity is your most valuable possession. If your enemies find out who you really are, then it will be all over."

"Is there a way for me to leave without drawing attention to this place?" Batgirl turned to look back at her grandparents.

"Yes. A secret entrance." Barbara hit a button, and Batgirl saw a door slide open with a hiss, revealing a passage way that went underground.

"Nice." And she walked out without another word.

Dick looked over at Barbara as the door hissed close.

"You think it was a good idea, giving Cate the Batgirl suit?" He asked.

"I don't know..." She replied. "But I have to get back to work. Good luck." She hugged her husband before leaving the Command Center as she heard Dick pulling out a chair from a hidden closet.

It seemed to Barbara that her family could never truly say goodbye to the name Batgirl, even after all this time. She sighed, her heart heavy with the weight of what she'd just put on Caitlyn's shoulders. She wondered if the young girl was truly ready for the responsibility of the name 'Batgirl', among other things.

* * *

><p>The passage way opened up at a bridge and Batgirl stared around before stepping out. The door hissed closed, and when she looked back, she saw that no one would be able to even tell there was a door here. Turning back to what was ahead of her, she stepped up on to the edge of the bridge, which hovered over one of the rivers that went through Gotham City.<p>

"So... Where to first?" She asked in to the communication unit in the mask.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: **

**The Corruption of Power **

It had been a couple of days since the incident that tore apart his boss' family, and Eric sat in his office at the Police building, leaning back in his chair. He wore a tan colored shirt with a black vest, and black slacks, as well as black shoes. His dark hair was short but wavy, and his eyes were a steely blue as he looked at his folders on his desk. He spun around in his chair, and stood up, walking to the window that overlooked Gotham City.

So far no one suspected him in the case. But he wondered how long that would last. The Dee girls were already out on bail thanks to their mother and older brother. His hand in ensuring they'd have been able to capture and kill the daughter and son-in-law of Barbara Gordon had so far gone unnoticed as far as he was aware.

There was a knocking on his door.

"Enter." He called, turning to see Nathan coming in, followed by his red-haired girlfriend.

Nathan was a tall man with short black hair, and beetle black eyes. He wore a black shirt, black jeans, and black shoes. Eric knew he was considered to be the most promising student of Gotham City High, but also knew there was something else about the man that no one else had figured out yet. His skin was palest of peach, as though there was barely any color to it. While his eyes were currently narrowed with contempt and his hands were on his hips in an imperial manner.

"Welcome." Eric bowed to the boy.

"You have the files that need to be destroyed?" Nathan asked.

"Right here." Replied Eric, pushing the files on his desk forward to the young man.

"Kina..." Nathan looked at his red haired girlfriend, who nodded, walking forward. She had her shoulder length brilliant red hair held back in two pigtails, and wore a red tank top, black jeans, and white tennis shoes. Her skin was pale peach, but with a light tan. Her eyes were multicolored with the right eye being blue, the left being green. She picked up the files and opened them, looking through the papers, confirming their legitimacy before nodding and handing them to Nathan rather carelessly.

"They're good." She said.

"Excellent work." Nathan looked up at the man, who blinked. "So long as you keep quiet, Mr. Gray, you need not worry about your position of power here."

Nathan held up the files as he spoke, bringing up a cigarette lighter, clicking it, then setting fire to the papers in his hands. He walked to the window, let the files dissolve in to ashes before they blew off in a powerful gust of wind.

He paused, looking around as though sensing something or hearing something was nearby, but decided nothing was there. He turned back, closing the window and staring at Nathan. Then he grabbed the man's throat, pinning him to the wall with a strength that the teenager should not have, while Kina stood casually to the side as though this was something that happened every day.

"The moment I sense something has gone amiss in this case, you're a dead man. Remember who my father and mother are, Eric." He said in a low, deep voice that caused Eric's eyes to go wide. Then Nathan grinned broadly, a smile that did nothing to warm the soul. Instead, it sent chills down Eric's spine as Nathan let go of the man.

"Let's get going, Kina... Can't miss the test at school this afternoon." Nathan looked over at the girl who nodded and followed him out.

For a long time Eric stared at the door once Nathan and Kina were gone. While he didn't regret getting involved with the pair in this conspiracy, he wondered how long Nathan's sanity would hold. And why the cheerleader decided to stay with someone like that. But it was not his place to judge. Soon the commissioner would be ruined. The last piece of their puzzle would be in place. The last survivor to Barbara Gordon had to be killed before they could proceed.

* * *

><p>It was during the middle of the math test right after lunch, and Caitlyn was yawning. She couldn't remember ever being so tired. The last two nights had been long. Not only did she have homework, but her new duties as Batgirl while investigating the deaths of her parents were starting to take its toll. Her grandmother refused to let her skip homework even over the investigations she was doing, so that meant either she did her homework first THEN put on the Batgirl suit, or do it right after several hours of watching the two men that Barbara suspected. Dick insisted that she would get used to the long nights eventually, and they would seem like second nature to her.<p>

She hoped that would be the case, as she wrote down the answer to one of the long division questions.

Leia glanced sideways at her friend. It was obvious that the girl was loosing sleep since her parents had been killed. She heard that Bruce Wayne himself had visited to console Caitlyn the other night. She sighed at the end of the test, and walked up to her friend.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been staying up late at night." Leia frowned as McGinnis passed them.

"It's just taking me a couple of days to get settled in at Grandma and Grandpa's place is all." Caitlyn blinked when she saw Terry glancing back at them. Again she ignored him but looked rather embarrassed that her friend had noticed how tired she seemed. "No need to get worried." She smiled sheepishly, handing her test in to their teacher.

"Right... and I'm a monkey's uncle." Leia frowned. "What's going on, Cate?" She asked, leaning over.

"What? Nothing. It's just taking a while to get unpacked from the move. Besides, you know how much in the way of perfectionists my grandma is." Caitlyn shrugged. She knew she couldn't tell her about being Batgirl. Not that anyone else knew she'd resurfaced yet. So far, Caitlyn had managed to keep that fact quiet from everyone, including it seemed, Mr. Wayne himself.

Leia frowned, but she had seen a lot of boxes and a moving truck pulling up to the Commissioner's house over the last couple of days after school. She supposed with a strict grandmother, Caitlyn had to be pulling longer nights.

"Should I have a word with Nana Barb after school about the long nights?" Leia asked as they left the classroom for the crowded hallway.

"No, no... It's fine." Caitlyn waved an anxious hand.

"Then promise to try and get some sleep, ok? We can't have you collapsing at the competition this weekend!" Kina had turned up, having overheard their conversation. She now had a blue jean jacket over her red v-neck tank top since the school dress code forbade spaghetti-strapped shirts.

"No worries, girls, honestly!" Caitlyn thought she must have looked bad if even Kina said something about her appearance.

As they passed a teacher's office, she caught a few words of the news coming from the teacher's television.

"No word yet on the true motive behind the killing of the Boardener's, but the Lieutenant Eric Langton is adamant that they are close to uncovering the truth." Said the lead reporter.

Caitlyn frowned slightly before moving on to her next class, pretending that she had not heard anything. The truth was, she suspected the Lieutenant. She'd already cleared his subordinate, James, on the second night of her investigations.

It was a long day for her, but she did have a free period in the afternoon during the final class during which she did some of her homework, sitting in the empty hallway with her pen held up to her lips as she thought about how to word her answer for the United States History essay she'd been working on all week that was due the very next day.

She frowned before writing down the sentence in the binder notebook, filled with college ruled paper. After a while, she looked up at the clock. It was five minutes before the bell rang, so she stood up and stretched, putting her things altogether before going to her locker.

* * *

><p>Terry had managed to leave his last class a little bit early, when he saw Caitlyn in the hallway already at her locker. He'd been meaning to have a word with her about what Bruce had told her the other day, but it was hard getting anywhere near her when she made it so apparent she didn't like him.<p>

"Hey, Caitlyn!" He called as soon as he had thrown his things in to his backpack.

"McGinnis? What is it?" She asked, having been caught by surprise.

"Listen, I hope Mr. Wayne didn't upset you or anything the other day. He can be a bit rash." Terry caught up to her. There was still a few minutes before the bell rang.

"Why would he have upset me? I found his conversation to be quite enlightening." She swung her backpack over her shoulders.

"You're not planning on doing anything stupid as a result, I hope." Terry just decided to go ahead and say it. He didn't want another incident like what happened to him as a result of a family being torn apart by crime. "Just don't take what he said to heart, ok?"

"Why do you worry so much, McGinnis?" Caitlyn's eyes were narrowed in suspicion. "Like I would do anything that would risk tarnishing my Grandma's reputation."

"It's not her I'm worried about." He said as she turned to leave. He was aware of Barbara Gordon's past life, and so far he hadn't seen anything that told him she was changing her work schedule or spending more time at home. Dick normally stayed home, so that was nothing out of the ordinary. But Bruce had warned him that just because they seemed to be living apparently normal lives right now, that didn't mean squat as to if something had changed in their routines.

The bell rang, and they didn't have any more time to get another word in. He'd been Batman for nearly a year now, even though he wasn't as experienced as Bruce Wayne yet, even he could tell when something was amiss.

* * *

><p>Barbara had a few moment's peace that evening between appointments at work. During that break, she made herself a cup of coffee. She looked out of her office window, staring at the brilliant orange sunset that bathed Gotham City in a brilliant arrangement of shockingly bright colors that evening. She heard the door open, and sighed, looking at the figure that came in to her office through the reflection in the window.<p>

"What do you need, McGinnis?" Barbara asked, turning around to face the younger man, whom she'd seen in the reflection of the window as he entered the room.

"Just to ask you a few questions." He replied after blinking at how quick she was to figure out that he was there for a reason. "And to ask your opinion on something."

"Go for it." She replied, sitting back down at her desk.

This caused Terry to raise an eyebrow, since normally she was not willing to give him any information he didn't already know.

"Well, first off... why do you think the Jokerz are so set on ruining you and killing your family?" He asked. "I mean, apart from what you already told me before."

"It's possible the Dee Twins blame me for what happened to their mother." Replied Barbara after a pause. "When she fell in to that abyss at Arkham, no one really knows what happened to her. They could be blaming me for her fall that day."

Terry looked at the older woman, thinking.

"That is not the only reason I think they are after you and your family..." He said.

"True. I think somehow they found out who I used to be before now. And who my daughter was. They want to make sure I am ruined utterly as part of their revenge." Nodded Barbara. "Part of the ransom note they left in regards to their attack was for all the money I had in my bank account. They were attempting to bankrupt me in exchange for the lives of my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter." She leaned back in her chair.

"So now the question is... who do you think they're taking their orders from? Their mother? Or someone else?" Asked Terry after a pause while he let that information sink in. "I would like to have the facts straight before I go after them."

"I would rather not... but my granddaughter is the only surviving family member I have next to my husband..." Sighed Barbara. "I believe they could be making their own decisions on this case. Their brother, Nathan, has not made any contact with his family directly for years. Be careful, Terry. Vengeance and anger can carry a person far and make them exceptionally dangerous given the right circumstance." She looked at the young man, who gave a cocky grin. "Plus, my granddaughter is rather bitter right now. She's got her grandfather's stubborn streak."

"I think I can handle it." Terry said as he turned to leave.

"One more thing..." Barbara added before he was gone. "I'm investigating my First Lieutenant, Eric Gray. I suspect he might be in league with the Dee Twins. There aren't many people who have the ability to walk in here and grab my security codes on my personal files. And I've not told Caitlyn who you are. I imagine you prefer to keep that a secret." She said with a small smile.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the help." Nodded Terry as he left Barbara to her work.

* * *

><p>Caitlyn joined Leia outside the school. There was no practice tonight, and she didn't have her martial arts class either. So the two decided to have a girl's day out with Kina and Melody. Caitlyn had her wallet with her that day as they went to drop their bags off at their houses. Her grandfather gave her permission, so long as she kept her cellphone on in case of emergency. And Caitlyn kept the Batgirl suit in her tote bag- which now had a velcro strap that kept anyone else from looking in and seeing what she carried with her. Not that it would be easily visible anyways. She had it in an individual black bag that zipped up on the side. Also in her tote bag were her cellphone, a moleskin sketchbook, pen, pencil and eraser. As well as her iPod Touch, and headphones.<p>

The group headed down the street, talking about what they were planning to do. Their first stop at the mall would be the music store. They all had similar tastes, so Caitlyn was looking forward to this. She'd been saving her money from allowances, and now the first payment from her grandparents, and this was to be the last time she would get to hang out with her friends before her parents' funeral the very next day. Her grandfather had talked her grandmother in to letting her do this, since he understood the importance in living as normal of a life as possible when she did not wear the mask of Batgirl.

"I hear there's a new CD from Within Temptation, and Trust!" Kina said. She now carried a black purse with gold trim on the clasp.

"I can't wait to hear that song from Yue." Said Melody.

"And then there's Three Doors Down!" Exclaimed Leia, pulling out a small notebook from her own light green leather purse. "Their newest album has just reached platinum." She sighed, a wispy, dreamy look in her blue eyes as she walked.

The group reached the mall, and went straight to the music store where already a gaggle of students were gathered, and were quickly immersed in looking at the CD titles and Caitlyn and Kina pulled on headphones to listen to their favorite songs.

It was the first time in days that she'd felt like a normal person, and she couldn't help it as she started to dance on the spot to the rather loud guitar music that banged away in her ears, drowning out everything else. At least until two orange-haired girls came up to the pair.

"Looks like these girls are having fun, eh sis?" Grinned Sharon, having not donned her white clown's make-up mask that day.

"Indeed, sis. I think we need to shake things up a bit." Sheryl gave an identical evil smile.

Caitlyn looked over as Leia and Melody stood between her, Kina and the Dee twins.

"What do you want?" Leia asked, well aware that the twins had been involved in the murder of her best friend's parents.

"We just came by to say hi. No need to get so moody, Leia." Shrugged Sheryl.

"Can't we hang out with our old friends?" Asked Sharon.

"No. You're no friend of ours." Melody frowned.

"Awe... you're no fun." Sheryl frowned in return. "Guess we'll be leaving, huh sis?"

"Might as well, sis. No excitement here..." The two turned. "Or is there?" Sharon reached in to her pocket.

What she withdrew from her pocket was a small cylinder, gray, about the length of a pencil, before tossing it up in to the air with an elegant upward swing of her arm as though carrying a pompom. From both ends issues a thick black smoke that slowly filled the store before the cylinder fell with a clatter to the floor.

"Leia, Melody, Kina!" Caitlyn called out, trying to see through the smoke as she coughed. She reached out, groping blindly for her friends who she could hear but not see.

"Over here!" The three girls had found each other and Leia kept a hand on both her sister and Kina as she called out for Caitlyn.

Sharon and Sheryl grinned at each other before jumping up in to the air, then in to the thickest part of the fog where Caitlyn was trapped.

"Time to tie up some loose ends, don'cha think sis?" Asked Sheryl from Caitlyn's right.

"I quite agree, sis." To Caitlyn's left.

Caitlyn heard the twin's voices, and they cut in to her heart like razors. They were mocking her and her friends. But what was more, they were intending to kill her just like they'd killed her parents. But for what reason? There was no time to think. She swung her fist in the direction that she'd heard Sheryl's voice, and a grin of grim satisfaction crept over her lips when she felt it make contact with its intended target.

"Hey! Fish aren't supposed to bite back!" Sharon cried in dismay as she went flying backwards in to a CD rack, sending shards of glass and plastic everywhere.

"Then you should've thought about the kind of fish you're trying to snag before you cast the line."

It wasn't Caitlyn who spoke, but Batman. He had turned up on the scene the moment trouble erupted in the music store.

He was crouching on one of the larger CD racks that were still standing, the suit able to see through the thick smoke and Terry was privately impressed that Caitlyn was managing to hold her own, at least long enough until help arrived. He saw Sheryl spinning around towards him, swinging her foot to kick him in the face, but he jumped up and the foot collided with the CD rack instead. He landed in the fog next to Caitlyn.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped at Batman with a frown.

"Is that any way to thank the guy trying to save your life?" By now Terry was used to her attitude towards him, but he would have thought she'd be at least a little bit grateful to Batman.

"I was doing just fine." Caitlyn retorted as Sharon recovered from the punch and sent what appeared to be a tiny bomb at them.

Batman grabbed Caitlyn by the arm and pulled her behind him as it exploded. The shrieks of surprise and rage told him that her friends survived the blast. Sharon burst through the smoke and fire brought on by the mini bomb and slammed her elbow in to Batman's stomach. He was winded for a moment but quickly recovered.

In the meantime, Sheryl had come up from behind Caitlyn, grabbed the girl's free arm but had to let go the instant her foot came swinging around. Caitlyn jerked out of Batman's grip to be able to fight Sheryl better and ran after the orange haired twin blindly in to the smoke that was still hanging around.

"Wait!" Batman called after the girl, but it was too late. He frowned beneath his mask, and slammed his fist in to Sharon's face, sending her flying sideways in to a metal display of CDs and magazines before dashing after Caitlyn.

Sheryl laughed as she watched her intended target stare around in the black smoke that was finally starting to lift.

"Nothing like a game of hide and seek, right Cate?" She taunted near the girl. "I'm impressed you've lasted this long... You put up much more of a fight than your parents did."

Caitlyn's eyes narrowed as she tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. If only she'd had time to get in to her Batgirl suit. But perhaps with Batman turning up, that was a good thing. It would keep the fact that a new Batgirl had surfaced secret at least for a little while longer. She heard the sound of Sheryl pulling something out of her pocket and turned only to see Batman lunging out of the remaining smoke and knocking her out of the way as a second explosion ripped in to the floor of the music store in the mall.

During all of this, Leia, Melody and Kina had all managed to get out of the store and in to the hallway. They'd just made it to the railings of the floor of the mall they'd been on- which was the third floor- when they heard yet another explosion. They had to grab hold of the rail to keep each other from falling over.

Batman moved a large piece of ceiling that landed on them during the explosion.

"You ok?" He asked as he helped Caitlyn back up to her feet.

"Yeah." She felt as though she'd had all the air knocked out of her momentarily during the collapse of part of the store.

She looked around. There was no sign of the Dee twins, but that didn't mean anything. She ducked when she saw a red high heeled boot come flying out of the rubble at her. She would have spun around but Batman had already grabbed her by the arm, shot a bat-grappler up to the rooftop then the pair were being lifted upwards. Batman was surprised at how light Caitlyn was, then again it probably made things easier.

The Dees looked up, with determined frowns on their faces. Sharon looked over at Sheryl, who nodded.

On the roof of the mall, Caitlyn jerked her arm out of Batman's grip a second time once she was certain her footing was strong.

"What do you think you're doing here?" She turned to Batman, who shrugged.

"Hey, just be glad I followed you. I figured the Jokerz weren't done with the Commissioner's family and I was right, wasn't I?" Batman wondered why she had to be so stubborn about accepting his help.

Caitlyn frowned at him as she walked to the edge of the rooftop. She could see the ambulances and police hover-cars flying right towards the mall.

"And I don't think it's over yet, either..." Batman heard the sound of the Dee's hovercraft rising out of the wreckage of the mall.

Turning, she saw the very hovercraft that had been used to kidnap her family just a few days ago. Caitlyn's frown became more pronounced as it started moving towards her, piloted by Sharon. Sheryl stood on the outside above the seated area of the hovercraft, crouched and clearly ready to attack whoever the ship ran in to first. Gripping her tote-bag, she ran right at the hovercraft.

"Great..." Muttered Batman, the rockets in his feet activating and he went after her, remembering what Barbara had said earlier about vengeance and anger taking a person farther along than they otherwise could have gone.

Caitlyn became ever grateful of her career choice of being a cheerleader and a martial arts prodigy. She jumped up in to the air on to her hands before landing cat-like on the arrow of the hovercraft to be met with Sheryl landing right in front of her.

Sharon then grinned fiercely, twisting the hovercraft completely on its side as they flew higher in to the air above Gotham City.

"You know what they say, sis...? What goes up-" Sharon said as Sheryl jumped around to land in the seats of the cockpit of the hovercraft moments later, watching Caitlyn slip off, then fall.

"Must come down." Sheryl finished the sentence when Sharon put the hovercraft right side up again. The two didn't bother to look back and see if the girl survived the fall. They knew no human could survive a fall from that height.

Caitlyn's eyes were wide as she fell, holding on to the only thing she could- her tote bag. If she lost that, then she lost the thing her grandmother had given her not two days ago. She suddenly felt a hand grab her right wrist, and her fall stopped. Looking up she saw Batman had shot off a grappling hook to a sky bridge near the mall and they were hanging in mid air for a moment.

"You certainly seem to attract a lot of trouble." Batman commented, and Caitlyn frowned.

"I guess that's what you get for being the granddaughter of the Police Commissioner. Now if you wouldn't mind putting me down?" She asked.

He gave a pull, and she soon had her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Hang on." He said as he let go of the grappling hook and fell a few feet before the rocket boosters on his feet were activated and the Bat Wings under his arms were extended to allow for more control as he aimed for the ground.

Caitlyn wasn't thrilled about the fact that she'd been saved yet again by the person she liked least in the world right now. When they reached the side of the road and he'd landed, she let go at once.

"I suppose I should thank you..." She said as she turned away.

"Well, that would be nice." Batman replied. "But not necessary."

She blinked, then turned. But he had gone already.

"Typical." She snorted, not impressed at all as she glanced at the mall which was still smoldering in the distance, then turned her back on the building. She realized her phone was ringing, and she found an alley way to rest in. "Hello? Grandpa?" She blinked when she heard who it was.

"Cate, you ok? I saw there was some trouble at the mall-" Dick said, concern heard on every syllable that he spoke.

"I'm fine. I got away with some help. My friends got out before anything happened to them too." She replied in a reassuring voice.

"Good... Are you coming back home then?" He asked.

"No, I've got something I need to do." She answered, kneeling down as she opened her tote bag one handed, and pulled out the smaller bag that contained her suit. "I was attacked by the Dee twins again... I need to settle this before tomorrow, Grandpa."

There was an audible sigh of minor annoyance on his end.

"Very well... But remember, Cate, when you're in the Suit, call me Boss. We can't afford having anyone figuring out who you are. And that just be a dead giveaway." Dick advised his granddaughter.

"Gotcha. I'm hanging up now." She said as a shadow passed overhead and she looked up, seeing the hovercraft the Dee twins were piloting flying overhead. She slipped in to the darkest part of the alleyway, and remembering her grandmother telling her about all the secret entrances in the underground that would lead to their command center, she slipped behind the wall after placing her hand on it.

The hallway lit up at once with neon blue lights, and she was able to change in to the Batgirl suit. She was more used to the feel of it now, as she put the tote bag on what looked like an elevator.

"Boss, it's me... you should be getting my bag in a few minutes." She said in to the communications' device in the mask. "I'm going after Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb and anyone else they are partnered with."

"Be careful." Dick said. He still had misgivings about Barbara giving his granddaughter the Batgirl suit. But Caitlyn had accepted it and the responsibility that came with it.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: **

**Never Look Back **

Batgirl was on the ledge of the window outside Eric's office, the cloaking device making her invisible to nearly everyone who looked out. She had her index and forefinger pressed against the window pane itself, and she was listening in on his conversation that he was having on the phone with someone.

"Yes," Eric was saying, his back to the window. "Everything is set. There's been no word yet of the girl's death. But at the very least, they should have gotten her scared enough to quit snooping around. We'll have enough evidence gathered to convict someone else, and then be able to bankrupt the Commissioner. Yes, the girls are still here. I'll send them along once they take care of some things for me."

She wondered if by 'the girls are still here' Eric meant the Dee Twins, but if they were there, they were well out of sight.

"Aren't you a little too old to be playing hide-and-go-seek?" A voice startled Batgirl and she turned, seeing Batman standing on the ledge as well.

She backed up rather quickly, the cloaking device deactivating itself since Batman had seen her.

"And you're too old to be playing tag." She retorted in a low whisper.

"Easy, I just want to help." Batman said at once, raising his hands to show he had no intention of starting a fight.

"I don't need your help." Batgirl snapped.

Inside his office, Eric heard a voice. He motioned his head at the security camera. Sirens went off at once, alerting the authorities to the intruders outside his window.

"Not the way I see it." Smirked Batman in spite of himself. He knew the voice underneath the mask right away, but he wasn't about to say anything when they were so close to being caught by the authorities. He'd been in the same situation when he first started out, but at least he could do his best to make sure whatever the girl was trying to accomplish was done swiftly and accurately before anything else happened to her family.

Batgirl wouldn't let him interfere, though. Half a second later, she had crashed through the window, rolled on the floor three times, then landed in front of Eric as he made for the exit.

"It's over, Lieutenant. I've heard enough to convince the Commissioner." She said, standing up. "You're going to be handed in to the authorities."

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" He grinned. "Girls..." He stepped back. "You have an annoying thorn to take care of." He knew there was only one person who that could be behind the mask.

"Right away, boss..." Sharon and Sheryl, who had been standing out of sight away from the window ran forward at once.

Batgirl frowned as she got in to a fighting stance, balling her hands in to fists. The two orange haired twins looked at each other then Sharon swung her own fist at Batgirl, and Sheryl brought up her leg.

Batgirl jumped up and over, landing on the table.

"I'll deal with you two ladies in a bit." She said before turning her attention to Eric.

A red high-heeled boot collided with her back, sending her flying forward in to the wall moments later. She shook her head like a winded dog, then glanced up seeing Batman crouching in the window.

"Still a little new at this, aren't you?" He asked her. "Not all bad guys like to listen when you know what's best for them."

"Great... another Bat..." Eric frowned.

This did nothing to improve Batgirl's opinion of Batman, as she stood up and sent a bat-a-rang at Sharon, who was jumping right at her while Sheryl went for Batman himself. The security alarms were still blaring, and Eric found himself wondering where the damn officers were as he backed up, watching Batman jumping and avoiding several fist and boot hits from Sheryl.

Sharon in the mean time had gotten in to an all out fist fight with Batgirl. Finally, getting tired of Sharon's stubbornness, Batgirl rammed her fist hard in to the orange haired girl's stomach, then as the girl fell forward, slammed her elbow in to her back, knocking her out in a rather efficient manner. Then Batgirl turned to Eric.

"I thought the Bats weren't supposed to fight dirty like that..." Eric frowned, reaching in to his pockets, backing up in to the wall as she got nearer.

"You don't know me very well, do you Lieutenant?" Batgirl couldn't help the smirk that went across her face.

"Sis!" Sheryl exclaimed when she saw her twin unconscious on the floor.

Batman took advantage of that distraction and sent an electrified bat-a-rang at her. Sheryl let out a cry of rage as she dodged several of the attacks before Batman got close enough to grab her by the wrist and toss her like a rag doll in to the desk, which crumbled upon the weight of the impact.

"Your goonies are down... why don't you listen to the lady and come quietly, Lieutenant?" Batman turned to Eric, who had pulled out what looked like a bomb.

"Sorry, not in my plans today, Bats." Eric then threw the cylinder at the two. Instead of exploding, it filled the room with a blinding white light. He ran at the window that had been destroyed when Batgirl crashed through it as the security guards arrived.

At that moment, security finally arrived.

"Time to go!" Batman said.

Batgirl had already jumped through the window after Eric, and at an order from Bruce over his communications radio in his mask, Batman went after her as the laser fire started.

Eric had landed on the hovercraft that was waiting for him down below. The pilot was a big man wearing a clown's mask, and was one of the friends of the Dee twins.

"Get moving, Bunk." He ordered.

"Right away." The man nodded, and the hovercraft took off.

Eric looked back and saw the Batgirl flying after them, dark purple wings in the shape of bats' wings had extended from the inside of her arms and to her sides, while rockets had been activated at her feet as she chased him. Beneath the mask, Caitlyn only knew how to activate these things as her grandfather instructed her to through the two way communications' radio.

Eric needed to get away as quick as possible before Batgirl caught up with him. Not to mention Batman.

Batman followed them with a frown on his face.

"Any ideas where they could be headed boss?" He asked Bruce over his own radio.

"Most likely the landing platform at the eastern building." Replied Bruce. "Satellites show he's got a ship waiting for him there."

Batman caught up with the Batgirl moments later, and she was close to catching up with Eric and his own pilot, swerving around a skyscraper then landing on a flag pole as she watched where exactly the pilot landed his hovercraft.

"I told you I didn't need your help, Batman." She snapped when he landed lightly behind her before taking off again.

"Sheesh... Can't be grateful just once, can she?" Mumbled Batman irritably as he watched her for a moment. "Any suggestions on how to get around that wall?"

"Girls were never really my specialty." Answered Bruce with a small smirk.

"Figures." Shrugged Batman, more to himself than anyone else as he took off after the girl.

"Just make sure she doesn't loose control. Attacking the Lieutenant at his office wasn't the smartest move and the police are already suspicious as it is." Bruce told him.

* * *

><p>Batgirl activated the rockets on her feet and with a burst of speed caught up to Eric and Bunk as they landed on the top of one of the towering buildings that was the Wayne Enterprises complex.<p>

"Easy." Said her grandfather's voice in her own communication's radio in her ears.

She flipped herself around in a mid-air backflip, before landing rather clumsily in front of Eric just before he was able to get aboard his ship.

"So some little schoolgirl thinks she's Batgirl and can put me behind bars for a crime I didn't commit?" The man sneered.

"I AM Batgirl. And I've got the evidence I need to put you behind bars for a very long time. You were the one who arranged to have the Dees murder the Boardeners', then set them to kill their daughter." Replied Batgirl.

"So what if I am? No one would believe you. You must be new to the whole politics thing in Gotham City kid..." Eric took a step back. "Besides, I'm not the only one in charge."

Batgirl paused. So there was someone even higher up on the chain than Eric?

"She might be new here, but I'm no stranger to the big city." Batman had landed behind Eric, who froze between the two.

Batgirl took the moment when Eric was looking at Batman and swung a bat-a-rang at the man who heard the movement and ducked. Batman had to jump out of the way, glad he'd done so when it exploded on contact with the nearby wall.

"The Dees aren't here to help you this time." Said Batgirl, making sure Eric could not get in to his ship that was waiting on standby.

"And you've got no one else on your side this time. It's time we ended things with a bang... Don't you think, Bats?" Sneered Eric, raising what looked like a detonator before pressing it.

Not only did the rooms around them explode, sending smoke and fire in to the air around them, but his own ship behind her erupted in fire and smoke, sending shards and debris flying everywhere around the trio. Beneath the mask, Caitlyn was ever so grateful that her grandmother had made her suit fireproof, which meant even though the flames did their best to engulf her, it felt like a gentle licking on her arms that she brought up automatically to protect her face after momentarily forgetting she was in the Batsuit.

"I never really liked this building anyways... It was always such an eyesore." Eric laughed maniacally as Batgirl was sent flying forward several feet before she managed to pull herself back up.

In the mean time, Batman sent a bat-a-rang at Eric, which cut in to the man's wrist and forced him to drop the detonator.

Batgirl ran at Eric as the man turned to jump off the ledge. The rocket boosters in her feet activated once more, giving her that extra bit of speed she needed as Batman sent a rope from one of his own Bat-a-rangs at Eric. The rope wrapped around the man as he attempted escape yet again, and Batgirl landed in front of him.

"I told you before it was over, Eric." She said in a low voice before swinging a punch at the man's stomach, knocking him out rather effectively.

"Hey!" Batman shouted in alarm. "He was already caught, there was no need for that!" He said as he made sure Eric could not escape even if he woke.

"I was just wanting to make sure he wouldn't be able to worm his way out of this one." She knelt down, and doing just as her grandfather instructed, placed her fingers on her wrist. Out popped the recorded audio port as the Police arrived on the scene.

"He's all yours." Batman looked at the police, who seemed a little wary of the pair.

Batgirl walked up to the officer she knew by sight was the one who was in charge of this group.

"Here, the Commissioner will find this rather enlightening." She said.

For a moment, it had almost felt to Batman that they'd been a team, before she turned from him as well.

Beneath the mask, Caitlyn was still fuming at the fact that Batman interfered again. She said nothing to Batman even after she heard him call out for her to stop, then jumped off the building as the firemen arrived to put out the smoke and flames that were filling up Gotham's skies with the black and red glow. There were still the Dee twins to deal with if they got loose again, she thought.

* * *

><p>"Leave her be." Bruce said from his spot in the Bat cave. He frowned as he stared at the screens before him, wondering what Barbara could have been thinking, giving the Batgirl suit to someone so young. From what he knew, and he knew quite a bit already, Caitlyn had been living the sort of life Barbara had wanted for her family before the Dees were ordered to attack on that day at the park. Had something changed in Barbara for her to willingly give the suit to her own granddaughter after that attack?<p>

He scratched the ears of his dog, Ace as he thought. Tomorrow would be the funeral. And while the Dees had gotten away, the capture of their apparent employer was bound to be a set-back, unless there was someone else they were taking orders from that was yet to surface.

* * *

><p>Nathan was frowning down at his sisters, Sharon and Sheryl.<p>

"You make me ashamed to even consider you family members, Sharon and Sheryl..." He said. "You're just damn lucky I got you out of there before the police could get their hands on you. And most of the evidence against us is already destroyed." He wore a black turtle neck sweater, black slacks, and black boots today.

"K-Knave, it wasn't our fault she's still alive." Said Sharon rather timidly.

The room was dark, but they could still see their brother's anger.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say your years playing the good twins of Gotham City High had made you soft. And you've got a particularly soft spot for the Commissioner's granddaughter. Who's now sent some punk bitch claiming to be Batgirl after us."

"Why would we have any remaining feelings towards that brat?" Sheryl said at once, clearly enraged. "She was always such a show off, right sis?"

"Always showing us up in cheerleader tryouts, always showing off during P.E., and always going on about her Nana Barbie... blechh..." Sharon agreed with her sister. "Besides... "finding out that her Nana Barb used to be Batgirl is such a fun way to torment her... right sis?"

"Then kill her. Show your use to this family, and kill her before Batman shows up this time. Or that new Batgirl. If you can't do something simple like that, then you're not worthy of the name Joker." Nathan turned his back on his sisters, who looked back at each other behind his back, clearly not sure if they were doing the right thing or not. But they had no choice.

"On the double!" The said before hurrying out, nearly running in to their mother. "Hi momma!" They said with a bright smile.

Harley blinked at her twin daughters as they ran past her from their brother's room. She held a tray of food, and her son's favorite soda.

"Hey puddin', got somethin' for ya." She said.

"Ah, momma... You always know how to cheer me up." Nathan smiled kindly. He didn't dare sneer at Harley Quinn, he knew what she was capable of, having found that out when he was much younger. Considering she could pull out a giant bazooka gun out of nowhere and simply call it 'mommies' little helper', he didn't want to incur her wrath.

"Special treat for the Knave. Gotta eat well if you wanna grow up big and strong like your daddy!" Harley said, clearly proud of her son in spite of the recent events. "Any word on the recent chaos in Barb's life at all?"

"Now that you mention it... I do have a few tidbits..." Nathan raised his glass of soda to his mother before drinking.

* * *

><p>"Hey kiddo." Said Dick as his granddaughter entered the Command Center when she returned. He saw her frown when she took off her mask. "Something not go as planned?" He asked.<p>

"Batman keeps turning up." Was all she said as she walked to the entrance to the main house.

"Ah. And that's got you miffed, eh?" Dick couldn't help the grin on his face behind her back. "Where are you going?" He asked once she got to the door.

"Food, shower and sleep... I can't be falling asleep on my feet at the funeral tomorrow." Caitlyn responded as she opened the door. "I'll do my homework afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan. So long as it gets done." He nodded.

After changing in to her favorite purple sweater, blue jeans, and thick purple socks, Caitlyn went to the kitchen and put a couple of leftover pizza slices on her plate before putting the plate in the microwave. She saw her grandmother sitting at the dining room table looking out, and noticed how tired the old woman looked.

"Hi, Nana." She said.

"How'd it go?" Asked Barbara.

"Could've gone better. But Eric was nabbed." Caitlyn shrugged as she got herself a glass of milk and sat with her grandmother at the table. "So...It's tomorrow..." She said thoughtfully, looking down at her glass.

"Yes. And Mr. Wayne and his assistant will be there, so I expect you to be on your best behavior." Nodded Barbara, looking sharply at her granddaughter.

"Yes, Nana..." Mumbled Caitlyn as the microwave beeped and she went to grab the plate. She let out a tiny yelp because the plate was too hot, nearly dropped the plate, then grabbed a rag from a drawer underneath the microwave and used it to hold on to the plate as she grabbed a fork.

"Cate, there's something else too...I want you to spend some more time with your friends at school. Just because you're Batgirl now does not mean I want you to change your whole life. Not every super hero has to be completely anti-social, after all. Look at Static."

Caitlyn smiled at the reference to another of her favorite Super Hero role models of the day.

"Fine, but I don't have to be polite to McGinnis." She grinned as she bit in to her pizza.

Barbara shrugged in response to that statement.

At that moment, Caitlyn's cell phone started ringing. She saw her tote-bag had been set by the doorway, and after seeing who it was on her caller ID, she opened it up.

"Leia?" She blinked.

"CAITLYN MARIE-ANNE BOARDENER, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Leia's voice roared so loudly that Caitlyn held the phone away at arm's length, her eyes wide at her friend's apparent rage and concern. "YOU VANISHED AFTER BATMAN SAVED YOU, AND DIDN'T EVEN CALL TO LET US KNOW YOU WERE OK! I'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU FOR _HOURS_!" Caitlyn blinked aghast over at her grandmother, who currently wore an amused expression as though she were watching her favorite comedy program. Caitlyn could hear her friend breathing heavily, like a winded rhinoceros.

"Um...Are you done?" Caitlyn asked tentatively.

"NO, I RUDDY WELL AM NOT DONE!" Leia continued, causing Caitlyn to wince as though she'd been whipped by the phone she held. "YOU'D BETTER HAVE A DAMN GOOD EXCUSE AS TO WHY YOU BAILED ON THE NIGHT OF OUR MALL TRIP!"

"You mean apart from being attacked and nearly killed by the crazy raggedy Anne clown sisters?" Sighed Caitlyn. "I had to get home before the news got wind that I'd been attacked again. You know what they're like. They would've had a field day that someone's got it in for Nana Barb's family. Sorry I didn't call you... But I just kind of freaked, you know? I wanted to make sure Nana and Granddad were ok too."

There was a long pause.

"Leia?" Caitlyn asked.

"Fine. I'll let you off the hook this time, Cate. Besides, I can't help it if you want to spend some time flirting with the Batman. I mean, the dark and mysterious type? Who can resist?" Leia's voice was full of sneering sarcasm and a hint of vengeance through teasing.

"What the hell?" Caitlyn blinked at her phone. "Why would I flirt with a guy I hate?" She asked outright.

"Oh come on, Cate!" Leia teased as Barbara stood up, patted her granddaughter on the shoulder sympathetically then left to go tend to some things before the night was over. "You turn down all the guys at school who ask you for dates and try to get you to go with them to the Spring Fling. You seem to be spending more and more time being saved by Batman these days than with your own friends after school."

"It's not on purpose." Sighed a now annoyed Caitlyn. While she was glad that Leia's anger and concern had apparently abetted, there was nothing quite like her friend's wrath. Being yelled at by her was far worse than being yelled at by both her mother, father and grandmother on report card day when it was revealed she was failing math class and had to miss a week's episodes of Sailor Moon Reloaded because of it.

At this point, Caitlyn was half tempted to hang up on Leia. Leia must have sensed what she was about to do, because she abruptly changed the subject.

"Now, Sunday night you and I are going to go to the night club to hang out and meet some guys. I've got it all arranged." Leia said rather hastily.

"The Night Club? But Leia-" Caitlyn began to interrupt her friend who made the dangerous noise of warning.

"This last week's been nothing but hell, Cate. It's time we cut loose. I'm not having anything tomorrow out of respect for the fact that it's your parent's funeral and all, but there's going to be no worming out of party night. I've already discussed it with Nana Barb and she's all for it." Leia pressed on, and Caitlyn knew when she was outgunned. When Leia was determined to get her way, she would do whatever it took to get what she wanted.

Caitlyn gave a sigh of defeat.

"Fine, I'll hang out with you Sunday then." She said.

"Great! I'll be seeing you tomorrow. I'm NOT letting my best friend go to her parent's funeral with just her grandparents and grumpy old Bruce Wayne." Leia's tone of voice was finally cheerful and uplifted sounding. "Better go. Mom's calling me."

The connection was cut. Caitlyn smiled in an exhausted sort of way as she closed up her phone. She finished her pizza in silence before putting the empty plate and her fork in the dishwasher and headed to her room. That was right... The funeral was tomorrow. She hadn't even picked out anything to wear for it. She'd been so busy trying to uncover the identities of the people behind her parent's killings, and her attacks that she was barely able to get anything else done.

She sighed, looking in her closet half-heartedly when after twenty minutes, something caught her eye. It was a dress that her mother had gotten her in the hopes she'd see her wear it for senior prom one day. She pulled it out and looked at it. The dress itself was black with purple lace trim, knee length, and a v-neck. In the right light, one could see the pattern of purple flowers sewn in to the fabric. It also had a black choker lined with purple, and it was very light. Which was a good thing considering tomorrow was going to be a warm day according to the weather man. After picking out a pair of flat bottomed dark purple shoes with a strap around the ankle, she set the outfit on her recliner chair.

This room was a bit different than the one she'd had at the suite. She had a twin sized bed here in the far corner away from the window, a recliner chair opposite the bed, a large dresser with an arched mirror lined in gold, and two bookcases that now held all of her DVDs and books in them. On the wall to the left of her bed was a flat screen television mounted above her desk, while on the eastern wall was a rather large closet. The floor here was carpeted dark purple, and a large window on the western wall just between the bed and recliner lit up the room in the sunset light of Gotham City that evening. The walls were painted lavender with dark purple trim around the top between the ceiling- which was white- and the walls themselves. Her desk below the television had her computer laptop, a computer graphics tablet hooked up to it, and several how-to-draw-manga books next to her her computer on the left. While on the right she had a lamp with her iPod Touch plugged in to it, charging. She decided to turn it on, playing some soft music to help her wind down for the night. When Ten-o-clock came around, she turned it off and turned the news on.

The first thing she saw was the attack on her at the mall via security cameras.

"Great. Shout it out to the world, why don't you?" She grumbled at the news caster even though she knew he could not hear her. After changing in to a purple nightdress, she flopped backwards on to her bed, looking up at the ceiling, dreading tomorrow. No doubt the news would be covering her parents' funeral even though they wanted to make it a private affair. She wasn't particularly looking forward to the funeral. If truth be told, she'd rather stay home and not have to face the fact that her mother and father were dead, and her father would never be there to call her "sparks" again. She still didn't feel like she'd gotten anywhere on the case of their killer's identities or motives, even though Eric was apprehended. Speaking of- She looked up at her television when the news changed to the next subject.

"Following the arrest of one Lieutenant Eric Grey, more unrest has erupted in the Gotham City Police Department as investigations ensue. Tim Creek has the story, Tim?"

"Thanks Diane," The man stood just outside the Police Department building with the whole news crew there it seemed. "It appears that Lieutenant Eric Grey had been in leg with the Jokerz gang for some time before this incident, and had been planning on the coup de tat for at least a few weeks. Recently it surfaced that he'd been hoping to hold the Commissioner's family hostage for a ransom of an untold amount. However, according to accomplices, that all changed when Batman appeared on the scene. Now we have word that Mr. Grey has been ex-communicated from the Jokerz gang, on top of everything else, for his failure to close the deal with the Police Commissioner herself. Tomorrow the funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Boardener is going to be held, and we send our sincerest wishes of well being to Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon, and her surviving family."

At this, Caitlyn turned off the television, got under her bed covers, and put her pillow over her head before going to sleep.

* * *

><p>It felt as though she barely got any sleep when she was woken up early the next morning.<p>

"Rise and shine, kiddo." Said her grandfather, turning on the lights in her bedroom. "You've got an hour."

She glared at him from underneath her pillow, but got up once he had closed the door again. She got in to the outfit she'd picked out the night before, then decided to leave her hair hanging loose- though she did brush it out really well, and put two purple clips in it on the right above her ear. Ashe also put on the bracelet her mother had given her just before her parents had been killed by the Jokerz. After she grabbed her tote-bag, she went out in to the hall to see her grandmother in a black dress, and her grandfather in a black suit.

"Let's get going, then." Barbara said, and the three headed out.

After their arrival at the Gotham City graveyard, they met with the priest who would be performing the services, and shortly after meeting with the priest, Barbara saw Bruce Wayne's vehicle pull up.

"Hello Bruce." Barbara shook the old man's hand as Caitlyn hung back, leaning against a tree while holding on to her bag.

"How are things going?" Bruce asked, looking around.

"Been better." Replied Dick, walking up to Bruce and shaking his hand as well. "Where's your assistant?"

"Waiting in the car." Bruce jerked his thumb at the figure sitting in the driver's seat. "Grave yards aren't really his thing since his father died."

"Ah. Makes sense." Nodded Dick as a second car pulled up and Leia exited from it.

Leia spotted her friend at once and hurried up. She wore a black shirt, black slacks, and black shoes while her blond hair was held back in a blue headband that matched the color of her eyes.

"Hey girl." Leia waved at Caitlyn as she hurried up the hill.

A third car pulled up, this one belonged to the only trusted reporter to Barbara Gordon and her family, the woman known as Diana, who had her camera man and a microphone ready.

"If this is everyone, let's get started, shall we?" The Priest said as the reporter and her camera man set up.

Barbara nodded, and the small group gathered around the grave posts. Where two caskets were resting, waiting to be lowered.

The Priest began with the prayers, before reading a scripture from the Bible. Most of this process Caitlyn tuned out, thinking instead of all the times her father had helped her with schoolwork, while her mother did her best to keep her daughter active, and teaching her how to fend for herself when she was ready to be on her own. Yet she never thanked them for providing a roof over her head, making sure she had good grades in school, and kept out of trouble even with the seemingly endless amounts of energy that she had within herself- which was why her father nicknamed her "Sparks" in the first place. She bowed her head as the black caskets were lowered in to the graves, and last words were spoken.

All of it was meaningless to her, as she could feel rain lashing on her face even though it was sunny. She kept her face hard as stone, standing there with her family and best friend. She still had lots of work to do, finding out the truth to her family's killers and why they were killed. What Eric and the Dee twins had told her was not satisfactory to her. She'd hoped to have found everything out before the funeral, but she only felt as though she were halfway to the end of this trial. Perhaps not even halfway there.

When all was said and done- it all passed like a hazy cloud to Caitlyn- as Barbara turned to leave, Caitlyn said she was going to stay a while longer and just walk home that day.

Dick glanced over at his wife, who nodded.

"Just be careful. Leia, why don't you head home? It's late as it is." Barbara said in a 'this-is-final' sort of way.

Leia glanced back at her friend, then nodded.

"Ok. Just remember tomorrow night, Cate!" Leia hugged her friend as she departed.

Diana had already packed up her camera and left, letting the family and friends have a moment of privacy.

"I'd like a word with your granddaughter if you don't mind." Bruce said to Barbara and Dick, who nodded, going to their car in silence after waving at Caitlyn and Leia.

In the car, Terry saw that Bruce had stayed a bit longer than everyone, and was now making his way to Caitlyn. He leaned forward a bit over the steering wheel, though he couldn't hear anything wondering why the old man was actually willingly taking an interest in the Police Commissioner's granddaughter. Maybe it was just to make sure she didn't start causing trouble. Who knew what the old man was thinking these days?

"So, the Lieutenant was apprehended, and something tells me you're still not satisfied?" Bruce said, startling Caitlyn out of her silence.

She turned to face the old man, blinking, wondering what she should say about the case.

"And I know the new Batgirl probably helped you solve the case." Bruce added.

"How do you-?" She asked.

"I worked very closely with your grandmother for many years. So, what do you plan on doing next?" Bruce answered simply, looking over at the grave markers that belonged to her parents. "No one as young as yourself should have to bury their parents."

"I suppose I could help my grandparents out more..." She shrugged.

"You never really struck me as the type of person to take an interest in politics though." Bruce smirked as he spoke in his usual blunt manner.

Caitlyn only shrugged in response to that statement.

"I know about Batgirl... I'm not sure why your grandmother chose you, but just be careful." Said Bruce, surprising her yet again. "Don't worry, I'm not about to go around telling everyone I know. I just want to make sure you know what you're doing."

"I know. And I'm not worried, Mr. Wayne. Thanks for your concern though." Smiled Caitlyn in spite of herself.

"Would you like us to give you a ride back home?" Asked Bruce.

"No thanks. I could do with stretching my legs a little today. I've been cooped up too long." Caitlyn shook her head.

"Very well. Just try not to linger too long in grief. You can't change the past. But the least you can do is make sure history doesn't repeat itself." Bruce stated as he turned to leave the girl to her thoughts.

She nodded to show that she heard him as he hobbled away to his car that was waiting for him to take him back to Wayne Manor. How did he know about Batgirl? He said he worked with her grandmother rather closely for years... It suddenly dawned on her, and she quickly turned to watch the car he stepped in to as it drove away.

* * *

><p>"So, how'd it go?" Terry asked.<p>

"Like all funerals." Replied Bruce, sitting in the passengers' seat with a thoughtful expression in his old eyes.

"That fun huh?" Smiled Terry.

"Just shut up and drive." Snapped Bruce, now getting annoyed.

* * *

><p>Caitlyn smiled slightly. Well, that made a lot of sense now, to her, at least. How Barbara knew the famous Bruce Wayne so well. Even now. She turned back to her parents' grave markers and continued to stand in a silent revere for many hours, until the sun had started to arch towards the horizon in the evening did she finally move away from the spot. She turned from the grave marker, deciding then and there, to never go there again.<p>

Batgirl was her opportunity to prove to the world she could be something greater than herself, and while she didn't have a criminal past, she wanted to prove to herself that she was strong like her grandmother. As she walked down the hill, and to the exit of the graveyard, she paused, wiping her face with her hand with a sigh. There was still a lot of work ahead of her. She wasn't exactly the smartest, most brilliant person in school. And Bruce was right in his assumption that she wasn't the best when it came to politics. In fact, she loathed politics in general and tried to stay away from that particular field. The title of most brilliant in Gotham City High School belonged to someone else, a pink haired dark skinned girl called Max. But she would still do her best to help out the city that had given her so much.

After walking to an ATM, she checked how much money she had on her cash card, then decided to go to her favorite frozen yogurt shop where she picked out her favorite combination of flavors- vanilla, pomegranate, topped with fresh kiwi, strawberries, crumbled up oreos, and mini white chocolate chips. The shop was in a little nook not far from her home, with an outdoor sitting area that had black iron wrought tables and seats while in the inside it was like an old American diner with blue and white checkerboard tiles, a cramped booth area next to the windows, and a long Italian style bar. There was also a black iron wrought fence around the outdoor seated area of the restaurant, and Caitlyn rather enjoyed the spot she chose as she ate in silence, letting herself calm down from everything that had happened that week, keeping her tote bag close by her feet. She hummed a tune as she thought about everything in her life and how she came to this point.

She thought that maybe funerals did this to people. Made them look at themselves from a different perspective. She watched as the sun began to set, people coming and going, a few glancing at her as though they recognized her but stopping themselves from going over and talking to her. To this she was grateful, for once she did not really feel like talking. She finished her frozen yogurt treat, deposited the plastic bowl and spoon in a garbage bin, then as though she'd been meaning to, on her way to her grandparents, she stopped at her favorite alley way, where she changed in to the Batgirl suit, put the tote-bag in the passageway beyond the wall, sent it on its way to her home, and jumped up to the top of the nearest three story building, looking around.

There was still one more lead she had to check out. Homework and school could wait.

She made sure her hair was tucked behind her shoulders, the full Bat-suit mask did a good job as acting like its own self-provided ponytail, then spread out her arms, the wings falling in to place instantly. She also had to get used to the Bat-suit before taking on her next task, she realized as the rockets at her feet were activated and she shot up in to the sky at break-neck speed.

"Cate, you doing ok?" Came her grandmother's voice over the communication's radio.

"Yeah, Nana. There's just some things I need to check out... what are you doing there?" She asked as she swerved through the city-scape, learning how to get a feel of the Bat-suit while in the air.

"Giving your grandfather a break. Just because I can't help you during the weekdays doesn't mean I won't be watching your progress." Replied Barbara. "Remember, gentle movements. The suit reacts to your thought pulses. You have to know exactly what you're doing and-"

Batgirl suddenly saw a flag pole jutting out from apparently nowhere, then swerved, barely managing to avoid being impaled by it.

"Where you're going." Sighed Barbara, rubbing her temples with her index and forefingers.

The rocket boosters at Batgirl's feet were activated again, sending her still higher in to the sky above Gotham City as night fell over the sprawling city-scape. She did a summersault in mid-air, then landed on the very top of one of the taller skyscrapers rather clumsily, the bat-wings retracting back in to the suit itself.

"Not bad, you're getting better. But you still need some work on your execution." Barbara commented. "And you're still not getting out of doing homework because of this." She added, and Caitlyn gave an annoyed sigh from behind her mask.

She looked around, finding the spot in the northern part of Gotham that she'd been looking for before taking a few steps back, then running at full speed before jumping off the building. The bat-wings came out at once the moment she was in the air, and the rocket boosters were activated, and she finally had a better sense of control over the bat-suit as she flew towards a specific home.

* * *

><p>Bruce had been sitting at the console in the Bat-cave, monitoring Gotham City as was his usual routine at that hour of the day when he spotted something, as Terry entered, carrying his medicines and a glass of water for the old man.<p>

"What's up?" Asked Terry.

"Someone's working late tonight." Replied Bruce as his way of telling Terry to go find out what she was doing.

* * *

><p>Batgirl had activated her cloaking device, which made her nearly completely invisible except to ultraviolet rays. She landed on the ground in front of the Dee's home. She'd been there before, so she knew her way around. This home was different than any she'd been to so far in Gotham City. It was a single story building, but it sprawled over a good twelve hundred feet. She found the window she'd been looking for, and even though she saw the curtains were drawn as usual, she placed her index and forefingers of her right hand lightly on the glass to listen in on what was being said while leaning close against the outside wall of the home, her eyes narrowed in concentration.<p>

Nathan was pacing his room impatiently, arms folded behind his back.

"Come on, honey. You can't sulk forever." Kina said- she had been visiting her boyfriend that day.

"All this sympathy for that family who doesn't deserve any... It bugs the hell outta me..." Nathan said. He wore his black turtleneck sweater, black slacks, and black boots outfit that day. He grabbed the stack of playing cards on his desk and started shuffling them, before flopping in to his black leather recliner chair in the corner of the room. Kina was sitting on the edge of his twin sized bed, her legs crossed catlike as she leaned over to watch him.

"Well, what do you wanna do about it hon?" Asked Kina, tilting her head to one side. She brushed a strand of her brilliant red hair behind her ears. She wore a sleeveless dark red shirt, navy blue jean shorts, and her white jacket was set on the bed next to her.

"I want to kill that girl before she can cause any more trouble to our family... her 'nana' is the one who sent my momma down that abyss. No one found her body, and momma lost her memories because of it according to dad. That's why I want to kill the new Batgirl... before momma has to relive those memories." Nathan was shuffling the cards, folding them and reshuffling again as though he wasn't really aware he was doing it. "I'm glad my sisters found out who that old crone used to be... Certainly making my job easier."

At this point, Batgirl had to pull back from the window. Not because what she heard had disturbed her so much, but rather she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around, and saw two orange haired girls staring in her general direction.

"Looks like we've got a little spy on our hands, sis." Sharon sneered.

"New Batgirl's not so good at the whole espionage thing, I'm thinking sis..." Laughed Sheryl, and Batgirl deactivated the cloaking device at once.

"Seriously, heard you a mile away, kiddo." Sharon bent forward, her hands on her hips.

"First off, I'm no kid...And second..." Batgirl aimed her wrist at Sharon, and shot a bat-a-rang at her ankles. The bat-a-rang split in to two parts with a thick wire holding it together, then wrapped around Sharon's ankles so tightly she fell forward.

"Sis!" Sheryl bent down as Batgirl jumped up in to the air a split second later, aiming a kick at her and sending Sheryl flying backwards in to a tree, which crumbled upon the force of the impact.

"What the hell is going on?" Came a voice from the side.

Batgirl turned to see Harley Quinn standing there with her giant bazooka gun in tow, holding it up with her left hand.

"Who's picking on my little angels without my say-so?" Harley asked again, having heard the sound of the fighting outside her home.

"I don't know where you learned how to be an angel, but these two dears certainly weren't raised by the mother of the year." Batgirl snapped, jumping in to the air as Harley fired her bazooka.

Batgirl back-flipped her way up the roof top of the house to stand for a moment, looking down at the strange family. She wouldn't have attacked Sharon and Sheryl if they hadn't found her out. She looked at the twin who freed herself from the wire rope, then at her mother.

"It's you..." Harley actually narrowed her eyes as she grinned at the Batgirl, before aiming her bazooka gun once more at her. "I owe you for sending me down that ravine, you know, Batsy-girl."

Batgirl activated her rocket boosters at her feet, sending her flying up in to the air before Harley could get a good shot.

Harley fired anyways, and the next shot exploded just below Batgirl, who managed to flip herself up and over the aftershock.

"That was close..." Muttered Caitlyn beneath her mask as she landed on a nearby skyscraper.

"You shouldn't have been there anyways."

It wasn't her grandmother who said that, but another voice that she took no thrill in hearing at that moment. She turned and saw Batman standing not far, on the rooftop with his arms crossed.

"What were you doing there anyways?" He asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Batgirl retorted, stepping away from him and on to the ledge.

"They had nothing to do with the murders of that girl's parents, so unless they actually commit a crime, we can't actually arrest them." Batman told her. Beneath his mask, he wondered what on earth she could be thinking going to the Dee's home on her own. Either she really was a newbie at the whole Dark Knight of Justice thing, or she had something against the family that he wasn't aware of.

"That's all that you know at least." Said Batgirl in response. preparing to jump off if he got any closer.

"What do you know about them?" He asked. "If you need help, you can just ask me. You would probably get a lot farther along on whatever you're trying to achieve-"

"Sorry, but asking the help of the Dark Knight of Gotham City is not in my plans." Batgirl interrupted him. She turned away. "I will say this... That family is not all they seem. I overheard an interesting conversation by their golden boy." She fiddled with her wrist, and tossed another recorded chip at Batman, who caught it. "That might change your mind about them." She then jumped, the wings unfolding, and she flew away, leaving Batman on the building, staring at the chip in his hand with a frown.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: **

**No Other Reason**

It was early in the morning, Caitlyn was still sound asleep in her bed as the sun forced its way rather rudely through her bedroom window curtains. She paid no attention to it, though, curled up like a cat under her covers, with the pillow over her head. At least until a loud banging on her door woke her up with a jolt. It had been a late night for her, having more homework from school than she was used to, despite trying to keep on top of things during her free periods. So she wasn't entirely thrilled when she heard the rude banging on her bedroom door.

She didn't sit right up even as Barbara came in to tell her that this was the last time she'd be calling for her, before sending in the artillery with a bucket of ice water over her. Finally she groaned that she was getting up, and sat up, her pillow falling off her head and on to her lap. Her hair stuck up at a weird angle, having apparently slept on it wrong that night. She wore her favorite purple nightdress, and as she stared around her room, she nearly forgot why it was her grandmother and not her mother waking her up that morning.

After looking at the clock, she saw that it was seven in the morning. Cursing her grandmother of an early bird, she flopped back in to her bed for a moment. She was exhausted, not only from the late night, but from everything that had happened that week. And still Barbara wasn't giving her a break. She tried and failed to stifle a huge yawn as she finally, and very slowly climbed out of her bed. Then let out a sound like a mouse being trodden on when she tripped over her bedcovers, then her own feet, landing face first on the floor.

Barbara heard the crash in her granddaughter's bedroom with a sigh as she stood over the stove top in the kitchen frying some eggs. She didn't know how late Caitlyn stayed up trying to keep up with her schoolwork after coming back from the mission. But she didn't really care, she wasn't about to let her granddaughter lapse back in to sleeping until noon, even on the weekends.

Caitlyn came out of her room a short while later, dressed in a purple tank top that was over a white t-shirt, both with v-necks, and wearing blue jean shorts, with a black belt around her waist. Her socks were white, while her hair today was hanging freely, which showed that it went almost down to her waist when it wasn't up in a pony tail. She yawned widely as she slumped from her room.

"Hey kiddo." Said Dick, already sitting at the dining table. "Got a big night out planned from what I hear."

"Yeah..." She mumbled, grabbing herself a glass and pouring some Diet Code Red Mountain Dew in to it before sitting opposite her grandfather.

A plate was set in front of her as Barbara took her spot at the table, and Caitlyn- still half awake, looked down at what Barbara had cooked for her family. It was her favorite breakfast- French Toast, scrambled eggs topped with cheese, turkey sausage links, hash browns, and pancakes. She reached over, and grabbed the ketchup, pouring some over her hash browns- earning a look of disgust from Dick- then poured maple syrup over her sausage, french toast, and pancakes.

Barbara had a smile on her face as Dick glanced sideways at her.

"Kids will be kids, you know." She simply shrugged in response to Dick's unasked question.

Bruce sat in the Batcave early that morning, listening to the recorded audio that Terry had given him from the new Batgirl. He stared up at the many screens before him, as he listened to what Nathan and Kina had been talking about before the Dee twins discovered Batgirl. He frowned at what he heard as Terry came in with his usual dosage of heart medicines for the morning.

"Figure anything out?" Terry asked, handing the glass and pills to Bruce.

"Nothing new... But at least we have the evidence now to back up anything we might have against them." Replied Bruce after taking his pills.

"So the kids blame Barbara for what happened to their mom, huh?" Terry looked up at the screen as the audio replayed itself.

"Yeah. And they managed to break in to her personal files and found out who Batgirl used to be. So now they're doing what they can to 'ruin her', as Nathan so wonderfully put it." Said Bruce, putting his glass on the console that he sat at. "And her granddaughter is next in line...just along for the ride it appears."

"It's a shame we can't act before they do." Mumbled Terry, in regards to Nathan and his gang.

"Yes, but that would give the police an excuse to arrest you. Especially considering all the collateral damage Batman does to the city... they might be glad for the help he provides, but he does about as much collateral damage as the bad guys." Grinned Bruce. "I don't think you'd want to see the type of bill they have planned if they ever catch him."

"No arguments there." Shrugged Terry.

"You'll just have to wait. I heard from Barbara that her granddaughter is going out with her friends tonight to the nightclub. Trying to get back in to a normal routine." Said Bruce, leaning back in his chair, his hands resting on his cane.

"And you want me to tail her again?" Terry scratched the back of his head. "You know, it's not the easiest thing trying to look out for someone who doesn't even want your help."

"Whoever said being Batman was easy?"

Terry sighed in minor irritation. Either the old man didn't get what he'd been trying to say, or he just liked to vex the young man. Regardless, it still annoyed him when Bruce got like that. He wondered briefly how Caitlyn managed to survive in a house with two Gotham City legends. Both with certain attitudes towards the 'super hero' aspect of life.

"So you think the Jokerz might attack tonight, huh?" Terry changed the subject.

"More likely than not. With her granddaughter out on her own without supervision, they might think she's an easy target." Shrugged Bruce. Though he privately thought that if Caitlyn had managed to get this far, she had more fight in her than she initially let on.

"Well, maybe I can call some of my friends and we can hang out there." Shrugged Terry as an afterthought.

"Whatever you feel like you need to do." Was all Bruce said in reply.

The day went by without incident, and around seven in the evening, Caitlyn came out of her room in her favorite outfit for outings like tonight. She wore a shoulder-less mulberry sweater that looked like it was slightly too big for her, a pale orange Japanese schoolgirl-style miniskirt, mulberry dress shoes, and today she carried a matching mulberry tote bag. Underneath her sweater was a mulberry tank top in case she got too warm while out and about that night. Her hair was held back in an orange headband, and she said her goodbyes to her grandparents as she made for the door. Around her wrist was her silver watch that was still two sizes too big for her, so she wore it backwards.

"I'll make sure to call you when I'm on my way back!" She shouted.

"And make sure it's before eleven. It IS a school night, kiddo." Said Dick from the living room.

Caitlyn waved to show she heard the old man before closing the door behind her and making for her friend's home. She was glad it was still warm, and not a cloud in the sky that evening as she made the trek down the street. She saw Leia hurrying to meet up with her.

"Hey! Glad you didn't forget!" Leia slapped her friend on the back. She wore a purple tank top with the Venus symbol from the show Sailor Moon in the front, a two tiered light lavender mini skirt with the bottom layer being dark purple. Her golden yellow hair was in two braids that hung over her shoulders in the fashion of her favorite character from the show Sailor Moon Reloaded, Elyon Brown. And her shoes were high heeled and purple. Instead of a tote-bag, she carried a purple leather purse with her.

"Imitating Elyon again?" Grinned Caitlyn.

"Hey, better than imitating that vampire girl from whatever story that outfit is from." Smirked Leia.

"I'm not imitating anyone, I'm just wearing what I like." Shrugged Caitlyn.

"I happen to like these braids, you know." Leia flipped her hair imperiously at her friend, who grinned again as they made their way to the nightclub, where already there was a line to get in.

"Got your ID, right?" Leia pulled out hers from her purse, and Caitlyn drew hers from her bag.

"HEY!" A voice called from behind.

It was Kina from their cheerleading group. Caitlyn had an odd moment, remembering what she'd overheard as Batgirl the night before and seeing the red head girl tonight was a bit of a nasty shock for her. However, she had not heard anything that told her she was actually involved in her parent's murder. She was just wrapped up in some nasty stuff that family was involved with.

Tonight, Kina wore her brilliant red hair up in a messy knot at the nape of her neck, a dark green tank top with the straps hanging limply on her shoulders, a pair of dark navy blue mini shorts, and a pair of dark green inch thick platform boots. She had a red purse dangling from her shoulders, as well as a black leather watch on her right wrist. Nathan came up to stand beside his girlfriend.

Nathan wore a white t-shirt with a v-neck, brown slacks, and white tennis shoes. He looked rather plain compared to the three girls that were now surrounding him, but he didn't seem to mind.

"What's up?" Asked Leia brightly.

"Not much, just out for a night of fun and romance." Grinned Kina. "I see you coaxed the lion from her den."

"Oh yes, I'm not going to let her sulk in her room the whole time." Leia nodded, patting Caitlyn on her shoulder.

"Hey! I wasn't sulking!" Caitlyn looked rather affronted at the assumption. "Unlike some people I don't let grief take over my life." She said huffily.

"Ok, ok." Leia held up her hands as if saying 'I surrender' as Nathan burst out laughing turning away momentarily from the trio.

"Here we go." Said Kina when they reached the security guard.

The three had their ID's checked, approved, and they were inside the loud and bustling nightclub. Lights were flashing from the ceiling in a rainbow of color, and music was being blared from the DJ at the northern end of the huge room. When Nathan joined them, he said he'd get the girls some drinks, and the three found a corner where they could dance, chat and generally hang out while he did so.

"So how'd the pot luck go?" Caitlyn asked.

"Not bad, we raised about one grand for the Cancer society place...whatever it's called." Replied Kina.

"Sorry I couldn't be there-" Caitlyn began, she'd been rather looking forward to the event, but even as she began apologizing, Leia held up her hand.

"Enough apologizing for things you couldn't help, girl. It would've been fun with you there, but you had one hell of a week. So no complaining." Leia said firmly.

Kina grabbed the drinks from her boyfriend's hands, and passed them around.

"Strawberry Mango for you as usual-" She handed Caitlyn a large glass. "Pomegranate blueberry for you-" She handed Leia hers, "And the Kiwi and wild berry for me." She said cheerfully. "Here's to another good year at the Cheerleading Contest!" She raised her glass to the two girls, who nodded and together they took three long swallows.

"All right, enough chit chat-" Said Nathan after downing his drink. He grabbed Kina and pulled her away from the two to join the crowd.

"Well, talk about short and to the point." Grinned Leia. "Come on, let's go join in the fun. You've gotta meet some of the guys here!" She pulled Caitlyn from the wall and to a group of boys from their school who were hooting and cheering at them.

"Boys, this is my best bud I was telling you about the other night!" Leia said over the music, which only seemed to get louder when they joined the group.

Terry had been at that nightclub for a while that evening, hanging out with his own friends for a change instead of working with Bruce Wayne- who gave Terry the night off- when one of his friends tapped him on the shoulder.

"Look who it is." The young man said, pointing at the entrance. "The Cheerleading Posh gang." He grinned.

"Hey, lay off Nelson." Said another young man in the group. "You know you'd be ignored the moment you went over there."

"Right, Sam. Just because they never pay you a second glance-" Nelson began, looking like he was ready for a row.

Sharon and Sheryl were in the nightclub as well, knowing their brother would be there with his girlfriend that night. Only this time in order to avoid being seen as who they really were, they wore their blond wigs, with blond hair hanging down to their waist and blond side swipe bangs, it would be hard to tell they were the Dee twins. They both wore identical black outfits- black tank tops, black mini skirts, and knee length black high heeled boots. They watched what was going on as the hours ticked by, enjoying themselves in a group of young boys from time to time. They could see the group Terry McGinnis hung out with arguing about random things- mainly girls and the cheerleaders- and they were also watching Caitlyn and her gang of friends.

Sharon wondered if being all chummy with Caitlyn was part of his plan to somehow ruin Barbara Gordon.

Finally, around nine thirty that night, they got the signal from Nathan as Caitlyn was coming back from dropping off her empty glass at the bar on the eastern end of the nightclub. All Nathan had to do was nod in the direction that he knew his sisters were hanging out at, and they knew it was finally time to act. Enough of letting the girl have fun when there was still work to do.

They stepped in to the crowd of people, and made their way purposefully towards Caitlyn, who was currently having fun with Leia and the group of boys as they danced to yet another loud song that blared throughout the building.

The two sisters positioned themselves on either side of Caitlyn while dancing their way through the crowd of people. Moments later Caitlyn bumped into one of the girls, and since she didn't recognize either of them, she apologized rather quickly.

"Sorry bout that." Caitlyn said to the blond girl who'd been dancing nearby.

"I'm not so sure 'sorry' is gonna cut it...what do you say, sis?" Sharon asked, and Caitlyn recognized that voice right away, stopping her dancing to turn and look closer at the blond girls.

"Hey, hey-" Leia had spotted trouble the moment it started. "Why don't we make up with a drink?"

"No one asked you to butt in, little useless twit." Sheryl snapped, shoving Leia away rather roughly.

"HEY!" Caitlyn's eyes were narrowed, and Leia knew that was a bad sign from her friend. "NO one, talks to my best friend that way."

"Something going on here?" Kina had stepped in beside Leia, who was looking between Caitlyn and the two blond sisters who had stepped in on their turf and were currently trying to bully their way around.

"Yeah, I think the Raggedy Anne Clown Twins would like to say a few things." Caitlyn said, glaring at the two before her.

The girl's eyes went wide in mock-surprise.

"Oh? So you figured us out already, did you little girl?" Sneered Sheryl. She looked at her sister, and the two removed their wigs, discarding them on the floor.

Caitlyn knew better than to be the one to throw the first punch. In situations like these, her grandparents had always taught her it was better than to wait and react than to be the one to act first. Especially since she knew the security here was normally tighter than that around Britney Spears' wardrobe on Halloween. She couldn't afford to be caught willingly getting in to a fight, not in public when she wasn't Batgirl at least.

The two orange haired sisters stepped towards Caitlyn, who stepped back from them. She kept on backing up away from them until her back hit the wall.

Sharon sneered at Sheryl again.

"What happened to all that fight and spirit you've had before, Cate?" Asked Sharon. "That's what we came to see again, after all."

Caitlyn shrugged, then she was forced to jump in to the air, flipping over the twins as their fists nearly rammed in to her face. She flipped over and landed without crouching, with the unerring skill and agility brought to her from being a cheerleader while still keeping hold of her tote bag. She then realized several people had started to watch the fight that was unfolding with great interest, as though it were something amusing to them. That moment of realization happened for just a second before the twins swung their legs at Caitlyn, who backflipped her way to safety out of their reach.

"Is there a problem, Miss Boardener?" Asked a tall, dark skinned security guard, who'd seen the trouble starting on his cameras and came running. He knew Caitlyn well, considering her grandmother was his boss. But he didn't know her quite well enough to have the privilege of calling her by her first name. He looked at the Dee twins, that is, until their high heeled black boots came in contact with his face sending him flying backwards in to the wall and very thoroughly sending him in to blackness before he could even help the Commissioner's granddaughter.

Someone from behind grabbed Caitlyn by the arm and twisted it behind her back, then Sharon grabbed the girl by the neck. At least until a fist collided with her face.

"Who's useless now?" Glared Leia as Sharon stumbled backwards. "Nathan, why are you helping them?"

"They're my sisters." Replied Nathan's low voice, but something was different about him this time. Like he wasn't entirely the Nathan they had known.

Those words seemed to trigger something in Caitlyn, who rammed the heel of her foot on to his toes, then when he slacked his grip on her arm, slammed her elbow hard in to his lower gut. She stood up, and had to duck as Sheryl sent a fist at her head from behind.

At that moment, a bat-a-rang came from one of the many windows.

"Oh-" Began Sharon.

"Great." Sighed Sheryl. Both girls knew what that bat-a-rang meant, and looked at its source rather unenthusiastically.

"Looks like I'm not the only one gate crashing this party." Said Batman from his spot on one of the light fixtures sixty feet up above them. He hung on to the cable that connected the light fixture to the ceiling as he looked down at the scene of scattered fighting.

So far there was a security officer knocked out cold against the floor, and the kids who had been having fun partying had gathered in a crowd to give the fighters space. Now that Batman had arrived, however, the teenagers were fleeing the scene, knowing from experience that things were about to get a whole lot more chaotic than they wanted.

For once, Caitlyn agreed with Sharon and Sheryl, as Batman jumped from the light fixture to join the group on the floor.

Nathan was frowning. He did not need Batman's interference, on top of Caitlyn's stubbornness.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Sharon.

"Shouldn't it be obvious by now, ladies?" Asked Batman "It's time to call your folks and take you back home."

Sharon and Sheryl looked at each other with identical evil smirks on their faces as their brother came in from behind. Nathan had no patience for any more interferences. He swung his leg around, and it came in contact with Batman's head, sending him forward several paces before Batman recovered just in time to jump up and avoid coming in contact with the twin's fists. He landed in front of Nathan, who stepped back just a bit but not enough as Batman swung his own fist in to Nathan's stomach.

Caitlyn's instinct was to stay and fight, but she'd forgotten Leia and Kina were there.

"Come on! We need to get out of here!" Leia was grabbing Caitlyn's arm, pulling her away from the scene as Batman turned and kicked the twins right in their face which sent the twins falling backwards.

Batman watched momentarily as for once Caitlyn heeded her friend's insistence that she leave. At least, until Nathan sent what looked like an Ace of Spades card, but at a glance he had to move aside at the last second. The edges of the card was all metal, sharp as knives. The image on the card was that of Nathan's mother, Harley Quinn. When the card failed to slice in to its first target, it kept going and struck the wall near Caitlyn and Leia. Who seconds later had to duck away as it exploded on contact with the wall.

The force of the explosion caused bits of the wall to come flying at them in random spots. The shock wave momentarily knocked the three gils off balance but not before Caitlyn managed to pull Leia and Kina away, and slip out of sight amongst the chaos.

"She's getting away!" Shouted Nathan at his twin sisters, who leapt after their intended target while Nathan had Batman in a temporary stranglehold from behind. That did not last long, as an object came flying from nowhere to smack Nathan on the back of his head, which resulted in Nathan loosening his grip just enough for Batman to spin around and slam his elbow in to the young man's face.

Assuming that it was a bit of debris from the explosion that had been sent flying, Batman didn't think too much on the matter. He was just glad that something happened to loosen Nathan's grip as the twins went charging after the blur that was Caitlyn.

Leia was smirking, something that Kina did not notice because she was focussing on Caitlyn who was attempting to either get away, or find a hiding spot. Leia had managed to throw the object that helped out Batman in the end. It wasn't the debris from the explosion. And from her angle, it would have been easy to. She had no idea where her best friend had got to, until she heard Nathan's cry of dismay. All she knew is that she needed to get out, and find Caitlyn to make sure she was ok. She had never revealed her secret to anyone, that she could make things levitate at will. So she let people think that a random piece of rubble had come flying out of nowhere during the fight as she ran in the direction she'd last seen Caitlyn heading in.

Leia was not about to reveal her secret to anyone, she felt it made herself more unique, especially since she knew generally it was usually only the super heroines and heroes, or people who were considered mutants who had those kinds of abilities. Hers was rather weak compared to others from legends, but that was only because she did not practice as much.

"Cate! Caitlyn!" She called, worried that Caitlyn had bailed again as she heard Batman getting in to a fist fight with Nathan who was still refusing to accept defeat.

"Over here!" Caitlyn's voice came with relief to Leia's ears, and she found Caitlyn hiding behind a wall that kept her from view.

"Thank God..." Leia panted when she reached her friend. "Where's Kina?"

"I dunno. I lost track of her after I pulled you two away from the explosion." Caitlyn felt strained. She wasn't able to help in the fight, she wasn't able to avenge her parents with Nathan still alive and breathing. But she did not want to do all of that in front of Leia, who thankfully was alive and standing with her.

There was a loud crash somewhere on the main dance floor where the fight was taking place. The girls looked, and saw Nathan being thrown like a rag-doll in to his sisters, and all three fell in to a table full of delicate glasses which shattered on impact.

"We'll have to finish this later..." Said Nathan as the sound of sirens woke him to what would happen if he and his sisters were caught here. Their plan would go to shambles even more than it already has with there being a survivor to the murders of the Boardeners in this room. "Girls?"

"On it, bro." Said Sharon and Sheryl at once. The twins pulled out what looked like black spheres the size of golf balls, one for each hand before throwing them to the ground. "So long, Batman." Their laughter echoed maddeningly around them as Batman made a lunge for them, but smoke unfurled from the spheres, blocking them from view.

By the time the smoke dissipated, so had the Dee twins and Nathan. Kina was nowhere to be seen, but Batman could see Caitlyn and Leia standing in a far corner out of the way. Caitlyn gave a curt nod at him, which he took to be as her way of saying thank you.

Leia blinked and looked at her friend. When she'd looked back at Batman, he had already disappeared.

A short time later, the doors were flung open as the police men came hurrying in to assess the situation.

"Are you ok?" Asked Barbara when she entered, looking around and seeing her granddaughter and best friend hurrying over.

"We're fine, Nana." Smiled Leia before Caitlyn could answer.

"What happened? We received a distress call that someone was trying to blow up the place!" Barbara looked fierce and concerned at the same time.

Both Caitlyn and Leia thought she knew what was going on in the elderly woman's mind at the moment.

"The Dee twins and their brother gate-crashed the party, Nana. Batman came and fought them off." Replied Caitlyn this time. "It was a bit chaotic, but no one was seriously injured or anything."

"Good. You'd better get out of here then, before the press gets here." Barbara gave the two girls a brief hug before shuffling them away. "I don't want anymore publicity on you than there already has been."

"See you later, Nana!" Caitlyn and Leia waved.

Only once they were out of ear shot, Caitlyn and Leia at once broke in to conversation about what had just happened.

"I can't believe the gall of those guys!" Leia burst out first. "Attacking us in the middle of a crowd!"

"I think they thought we might not put up as much of a fight if we were surrounded by people..." Agreed Caitlyn with a nod.

"Boy it's lucky Batman showed up... otherwise we'd have been done for! Did you see those cards that Nathan had? Who would've thought that he'd find a way to make playing poker even more deadly than it is?" Leia was shaking her head as they walked down the street.

"Listen, Leia..." Caitlyn cast around for a different subject, she didn't want to stay on the topic of the most recent attack and Batman any longer than she had to. The news vans that zoomed by them on the road towards the scene they just left was a strong reminder as to why. She decided on a subject that wouldn't seem like she was trying to be offensive, but there was only one that came to mind. She decided to throw caution to the wind."Tomorrow, why don't we go to visit your Grandmother tomorrow after school? It's been a while since we've seen her. She might enjoy the visit."

Leia stared then a bright smile crossed her face.

"Sounds great! You mean it?" She asked.

"Yeah." Nodded Caitlyn. "I think it might be a nice change of pace. And I want to make up for tonight. It wasn't all that fun after the evil Raggedy Anne Clown sisters and their brother attacked."

"Don't worry about it. You can't help it if you're a magnet for trouble. But we'll have to stop at the florist first before going to see grandma. Her roses have probably wilted by now since our last visit." Smiled Leia, glad that Caitlyn had suggested it. She'd been thinking about her grandmother a lot lately, and with all that was going on, this might be the right change of pace that the two of them needed.

"Ok. Wanna hit Yogurtza before we get home then?" Asked Caitlyn, referring to their favorite Frozen Yogurt place.

"Sounds like a plan! And I'll pay tonight. I just got my allowance today." Leia pulled out her cash card- which looked just like a regular credit card- from her purse as they made for their favorite frozen yogurt restaurant rather hastily, to avoid being spotted by the news crews who were flocking to the Night Club. "I just hope that officer is ok... He was knocked out cold." She added, referring to the man who had tried helping them but wound up unconscious on the floor instead.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Nodded Caitlyn as they walked, unaware that they were still being watched. Not by Sharon or Sheryl, or even their brother Nathan. But by Batman, who remained invisible because of the cloaking device on his suit.

Batman watched the pair of friends as they went in to the shop, making sure none of the siblings attacked again before leaving them be for the rest of the evening. It wouldn't due for him to be caught somehow, even if he was invisible to the naked eye. He frowned beneath his mask as he thought about what made the siblings so determined to kill Caitlyn as to attack in the midst of a group.

After the frozen yogurt treat, the girls decided to head home for the night. It was nearing ten thirty at night, and they still had schoolwork to do.

"See ya later!" Caitlyn waved at her friend when they reached Leia's house. And after swearing that she'd call when she got home, she started down the street towards her own place, enjoying the quiet and silence. At least for a time.

When she walked around the corner and down a few more blocks, there was a low loud rumble that announced the arrival of the hovercraft that the Dee sisters piloted. Caitlyn did not look back to see for sure who it was, instead, she kept on walking. When she reached an alley way, she darted down it. After stepping in to the shadows, pulling out her phone and shooting off a message to Leia that she'd made it home safely, Caitlyn withdrew from her bag her Batgirl suit, slipping farther in to the shadows of the alley way after making sure it was one of those on her grandmother's map that she'd been shown before.

"Where'd the brat go, sis?" Asked Sharon from her spot on the hovercraft as the two piloted it over the street.

"Dunno, sis..." Sheryl was craning her head over the edge of the craft, looking around the street. There was an alley way, but she could not see a thing in it beyond a few feet. "I'm sure this is the street that leads to her home though. Knave is gonna kill us for sure if we don't bring her back this time."

"Lookin' for me?" A voice came from their left, and there they saw Batgirl with her arms crossed over her chest, standing tall on the top of an old brick fence silhouetted against the inky black sky and night lights from the city they inhabited.

"Sis!" Sheryl shouted.

"I know, I see her!" Sharon turned the craft around with a mighty pull on the steering wheel. There was a flick of a switch, and lasers started shooting at Batgirl, who jumped up in to the air at once to avoid being struck as the brick fence exploded, sending debris and bricks everywhere.

Flipping around almost in a cartwheel, Batgirl landed on the street rather than the roof of the home behind her. She then leapt up with a boost from the rockets on her feet before landing right on the point of the hovercraft the Dee twins were using.

"Now, enough cat and mouse. I need answers, Raggedy Anne Sisters." Batgirl said, her eyes narrowed, her voice serious as she stared at the twin girls who had killed her parents. "Why did you commit those murders? And why is Nathan, or Knave, or whoever the hell he is called now, involved in it?"

Instead of getting a straight answer, Sheryl swung her leg up and slammed her foot in to Batgirl's face which sent her flying backwards a few feet. Again Sheryl kicked with her other leg this time, almost in a dance, but this time Batgirl dodged as Sharon was piloting the craft trying to knock Batgirl off, but not her sister.

It was a delicate dance for a few moments as Batgirl would swing or kick, and in retaliation Sheryl would fight back. Until finally, after getting frustrated with the ordeal, Batgirl sent her Bat-a-rang at Sheryl's torso. The bat-a-rang split in to two parts held together by a cord which wrapped around Sheryl, pulling her arms to her side and forcing her to fall to the side, then off the craft entirely.

Batgirl jumped off, landing in front of Sheryl, who was still struggling against her bonds as Sharon maneuvered the hovercraft to rescue her sibling.

"Now, tell me what I need to know." Batgirl grabbed Sheryl by the cord that held her captive and pulled her up with her left hand, while aiming a fresh bat-a-rang at Sheryl's face.

"Let her go!" Sharon shouted, aiming the laser of the hovercraft right at Batgirl.

"Not until I get my answers. Why did you kill the Boardeners? They had nothing to do with what happened to your mother all those years ago." Batgirl said fiercely.

"I-if we tell you, you'll let me go?" Stammered Sheryl, her eyes wide in terror at having the laser pointed at Batgirl- and thus her- as well as Batgirl refusing to step down.

"For a time. Until I can figure out what to do with your brother. He's the one who gave the orders, right? Why follow a bastard like him?" Batgirl nodded.

"Well... We've got no choice! I mean... All we want is to make Daddy and Momma proud... Right? And Knave is the oldest one. If he takes over the family name, we'd be left with nothing." Sheryl said rather quickly.

"That's not a satisfactory answer." Batgirl dropped Sheryl, before swinging her fist at her face.

"WAIT!" Sheryl said, and inches before Batgirl's fist made contact with her face, Batgirl stopped.

Batgirl saw Sheryl give a sigh of relief.

"Well... Truth is, Knave wants to completely ruin Babs Gordon before killing her." She said.

"Sis... You think it's smart telling her?" Asked Sharon, looking genuinely nervous. "I mean, he'll know we squealed!"

Batgirl sent the bat-a-rang in her right hand at the hovercraft, and the bat-a-rang sliced in to the laser cannon mounted in the point of the craft itself, before exploding. Sharon let out a small squeak of terror, like a mouse being trodden on as she jumped out of the craft when it crashed to the ground in a clunk of metal on cement.

"So dear old brother Knave wants to kill the Police Commissioner after having you two kill off her family? And... Do you not want to do any of this?" Batgirl looked between the twins, lowering her fist, but not lowering her guard.

"Well, actually, it was kind of fun watching that brat's expression when we showed her our present." Smirked Sharon in a smile identical to that of her father, the Joker's. "When we realized how easy it was, we couldn't resist killing the guy...splat...big fountains of blood."

"Yeah... It's not like they were really important or anything... I mean sure, we think they were related to Batgirl, and Batgirl was the one who paralyzed our Momma all those years ago. But it was still fun!" Sheryl agreed.

Beneath her mask, Batgirl was frowning. She did not know what was more disturbing, the ease which the twins were discussing their thrill of murdering her parents, or the fact that she now had the inkling that while they were terrified of their brother, they still would do whatever he wanted without remorse. It made her feel sick inside, if she was honest with herself.

"Those people were important, they were parents and children to someone who wanted a better life for them. So you do not feel remorse for what you did? None at all?" Asked Batgirl in a strained voice.

"Nope." Shrugged Sharon. "Should we? Not like we did anything wrong."

It was as though someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water down her back. Batgirl frowned. It wasn't anger that she felt. But rather...disappointment. She'd known these two for years before now, and never saw any inkling that they could go this far without thinking. Then again, their family had never been the sanest. They'd grown up under a different house hold, and after that... her mind went blank.

Sharon had taken advantage of Batgirl's stunned silence and swung her leg around several times, kicking her away from her sister.

Batgirl went flying back, forced to let go of Sheryl. She rubbed her face as Sharon untied her sister, and the two stood up. She wasted no time and rose to her feet as well, but moments later her path was blocked by a figure landing in between the three.

"Batman...what are you doing here?" Growled Sharon.

"Been watching what was going on. This has gone on long enough ladies." Batman said calmly. "Batgirl, don't you have someone else you need to go after? The blood doesn't rest just on their hands. I heard the whole talk."

Batgirl did not pause to think about how he could have watched without her noticing, she knew she had been focusing on the twins since they attacked.

He held back as long as he thought he ought too before things were drawn out too long, and Batman could tell that Batgirl had been about to loose it completely on the two.

"I'll hold off the idiot brigade for you. Get going." Batman said, making sure there was no way for her to misunderstand what he was saying or argue with him.

"Remind me to thank you later." She said, momentarily surprising him before she jumped into the air, activating the rockets at her feet and flying away as the Dee twins ran at Batman.

She didn't look back, as she flew miles over the city lights of Gotham.

"Boss," She said in to her radio communicator.

"Caitlyn... What's going on?" Came Dick's concerned voice in her ears.

"Got attacked by the Dees at the nightclub, then again on the way home. I'm going after their brother, Nathan while Batman's holding them off. Any ideas where Nathan's at?"

"Latest scans show he's at the football field at Gotham High. Be careful, he's got a bunch of his thugs with him." Replied Dick.

"Right." And she was off in the direction of the high school without farther ado, the wings unfolding as she flew, her hair flying behind her like a short ebony hood of sorts as she blended in to the night, hurrying towards her target with all the speed the rockets and flight gave her.

"You won't get away with this one, Batman!" Said Sharon as the twins spread apart to be standing several feet away from him, on either side.

"Never thought my first dance would be with a couple of clowns." Shrugged Batman in his usual cocky manner.

When the girls ran at him in unison, he jumped in to the air and their fists met with nothing. Looking around, they saw him landing near the downed hovercraft that Batgirl had damaged earlier.

"He's just trying to piss us off sis..." Mumbled Sheryl.

"Come on... if we can take on that brat, we can take on this punk." Sharon ran full speed at Batman, spinning in a perfect ballerina cart-wheel before attacking once again.

Batman dodged the kicks and the punches from Sharon before jumping smoothly up as Sheryl came from the side. All he had to do was buy enough time for Batgirl to reach Nathan, so he wasn't as concerned about fighting as Sharon and Sheryl were. He activated his cloaking device, becoming completely invisible moments before the twins swung their legs to kick at him.

"Dammit! Stay still!" Sharon shouted, looking around madly for the source of their annoyance.

The twins stood side by side, looking up and around, when they heard footsteps behind them. They gave identical evil grins before turning in unison, their fists raised, and slammed their fists hard where they thought his face should be. And judging by the grunt they heard, then his reappearance as his back slammed in to the downed hovercraft, they managed to catch him off guard.

Batman recovered quickly, flipping himself up and over the hovercraft and the twins followed at once in cartwheels. He brought out two bat-a-rangs as he landed in a kneeling position, and sent the bat-a-rangs at the controls of the hovercraft.

The girls saw where he was aiming at and jumped off just barely in time as the controls of the craft exploded, sending bits of shrapnel and metal after them. As Sharon jumped, she aimed herself right at Batman, abandoning caution, then swinging both fists at his face as Sheryl swung her leg in to his back.

Or they would if he had not rolled out of the way seconds before they made contact. Sharon let out a yell as Batman suddenly hit her in the back, sending her forward several paces. She spun around, but he was already kicking Sheryl, which resulted in the twins crashing to the cement rather roughly.

"You know, this really isn't much of a fight." Shrugged Batman, doing what he thought would get the twins riled up. "Kind of boring if you ask me. I'm sure your brother or father could give you a run for the money any day."

"It's a fight you want is it? GET OFF!" Sharon snapped at Sheryl, who was still trying to disentangle herself from her.

There was a sudden blast from a rocket that had been shot somewhere from their left.

Batman was forced to jump away as the rocket made contact, ripping up the road almost cleanly in half. The twins were sent tumbling towards one of the fences, and managed to stand up and stop themselves before they were hurt.

"What now?" Mumbled Batman as he looked for the source. That question was answered shortly after he asked.

"No one messes with Momma's girls." Said Harley Quinn, her Bazooka Gun resting casually on her right shoulder. "Especially you, Bat-fake. You don't play nice."

"Uh-oh!" Sharon knew they were in for an ear full later, especially if their mother had the Bazooka out.

"Time to run for it sis-!" Sheryl began to turn away from the scene.

"Stay where you are ladies, you're getting a spanking after I've handled Batsy Boy here." Harley snapped before aiming her Bazooka once more at Batman, who braced himself as he thanked God that he had a Mother who didn't use Bazooka's for discipline.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: **

**The Unforgivable Act **

Nathan paced, almost impatiently, back and forth as he waited with his gang of young men at the football field behind Gotham City High School. The field was lit with the lights and lamps from the poles that surrounded it on all sides. So why wasn't she here yet? He was getting frustrated beyond belief, it shouldn't take this long for Batgirl to overcome his twin sisters, then figure out where he'd be waiting.

He wore a dark green vest, black pants and boots now. On the vest was a purple daisy, much like the lapel his father used to wear before he got sent to Arkham Asylum. He opted out of wearing a shirt in general, after all, it wasn't like he had anything to be ashamed about with his football jockey physique. He chose the football field since there was much less of a chance of him falling in to a tank of acid and getting his skin bleached- he was rather fond of the fact that he generally looked nothing like his father and actually kept his natural skin color. Yet his hair had dark green streaks in it that seemed to gleam in the light from the lamp posts which illuminated the field he paced around.

"Come on boss, she's not gonna be here." One of the young men said. "Why don't we just head on home? We're way past curfew as it is!"

Nathan paused, then turned to look at the fellow classmate which his arms held behind his back.

"She'll be here. If I know Batgirl, and the stubborn line of blood she inherited... She'll be here. She won't be able to resist the bait of avenging the girl's parents' deaths." Nathan reached inside his pocket and pulled out his deck of cards. This action caused several of the boys to wince and take several steps away from him. "Oh... One more thing, David..." He said to the young man who had spoken up when he pulled out the Joker card from the deck he'd been shuffling through. He threw the card at the man called David, who seconds later let out a yell of pain as the sharp as a knife card lodged itself in to his arm. "I don't like doubters."

David had fallen to his knees in the shock of the moment, blood trickling down his left arm from the point on his shoulder where the card stuck out from. He gritted his teeth, and pulled the blood stained Joker card out of his shoulder, before putting his hand on the open wound to try to stop the bleeding.

"Guess there's no need for me to introduce myself." Batgirl said, standing on the very top of one of the lamp poles, her arms hanging on her sides.

Nathan grinned, a manic evil thing that spread across his lips as he turned, now ignoring David as he stayed where he was, still bleeding profusely from his shoulder wound.

"Boys, stay where you are. I need you here in case the other Bat turns up." Nathan took a step forward, revealing his deck of cards once more as he walked. "Batgirl... from now on, I am known as Knave." He said.

"Knave? Why not Joker Junior? He is your daddy after all." Batgirl watched his every step, tensing as he moved slowly towards the middle of the field.

"Just because I'm my father's son, does not mean I want to be exactly like him in every way." He replied. "Besides... Joker Junior sounds a little blasé to me. At least Knave shows I've got more creativity than my old man. I don't have a reputation to hold up this way." He shrugged casually, before looking back up at Batgirl who still stood on her perch atop the lamp pole.

"Ok Knave..." She mumbled, barely audible as a gust of wind whipped through the field.

Knave was the first to make a move. His impatience got the better of him, and he shot three of his cards at the lamp post. For a split second, Batgirl stayed where she was, until the cards exploded and she was forced to leap to the next, and the next as he kept the flow of his exploding cards. As she flipped around in mid air, a thought occurred to her. She shot a bat-a-rang at the next round of three cards, and saw that the cards were cut in half, and the explosions were not as powerful. She landed catlike on the race track that encircled the football field.

"I do have one question for you, though... How did you get past my sisters?" Knave asked as he withdrew a fresh pack of cards.

"Batman turned up and took over so I could kick your ass." She replied in a curt manner. "What you did to the Police Commissioner's family...was unforgivable." She stood up to her full height as she spoke, staring right at Knave.

"Unforgivable, was it?" Knave repeated what she said rather casually, in a way that sparked a fire within her. "You come chasing after me for vengeance when the girl who's parents I had my sisters kill should be here..." He looked at Batgirl, an odd glint in his eyes.

"I am here to make sure what happened to her never happens again, Knave. If you insist on continuing... then I'll have no choice..." Batgirl said in a determined sort of voice.

He raised his hand with three more silver blade lined playing cards held up, ready to strike.

Running forward at breakneck speed, Batgirl bent down just enough to dodge the cards that went flying at her, balling her hands in to fists, she remembered what her grandmother had said about the suit doubling her strength. Knave did not appear to be surprised, however, but pulled out what looked like a regular toy gun from his pocket. Remembering the stories about the joker her mother had told her, Batgirl jumped in to the air, and none too soon as lasers soon were flying out of the gun.

She activated the cloaking device on the Bat suit, and soon appeared to vanish mid-flip before Knave's very eyes.

"Dammit." Grumbled Knave in frustration, firing the lasers where he suspected she would have landed.

"Language, Knave, language..." Came Batgirl's voice directly behind him.

She waited for the last second as he turned, before swinging her fist right in his face, sending him flying backwards into at least two of the men who stood waiting for orders.

* * *

><p>Batman had braced himself as Harley Quinn aimed her bazooka at him and fired several times in quick succession. He raced to avoid being struck as the cement beneath his feet was ripped apart farther. He had to figure out how to defeat Harley before going after Batgirl and seeing how she was faring against Knave.<p>

He activated his own cloaking device, vanishing before Harley and her daughter's eyes in a split second as smoke furled around them as a result of the lasers from Harley's bazooka.

"Where'd you go?" Asked Harley, looking around. The next thing she knew, the bazooka had been knocked out of her hands, flying right in to one of the holes she'd made earlier. She swung her arms at the invisible force that had disarmed her, but felt nothing. Instead, she saw a flicker out of the corner of her eyes. A grin crossed her face as she swung her leg around, yet Batman grabbed hold of her ankle, deactivating the cloaking device before sending her flying sideways in to the downed hovercraft. Or at least, what was left of the hovercraft.

"It was nice getting to know you ladies, but I've got other fish to fry." He said when he heard the sounds of police sirens. As usual, the Gotham City Police were fashionably late to the show. Then again, they had a lot on their plate today as it was with the attack earlier at the night club.

"Momma!" Sharon and Sheryl ran over to help Harley up to her feet again. Harley was looking rather dazed from the impact.

"Sheryl, be a dear and get Mommies' Bazooka, will ya? Then we can get out of here." Harley said, looking at her daughters.

Sheryl nodded and set off at once, noting that Batman was already gone.

"You two are in for a long talking to from me when we get home about being out of the house outside curfew." Snarled Harley as they set off, making for one of the many alleyways as the police sirens got ever closer.

* * *

><p>Knave had got to his feet in no time as Batgirl reappeared for a split second. He sent two bombs at her, which she cartwheeled out of the way to avoid being struck by their explosions.<p>

"Any suggestions to finishing him?" Batgirl asked in to the receiver in the mask.

"The way Batman was able to defeat the Joker was by throwing him in to a tank of acid the first time." Came Dick's voice.

"But as you can see... there aren't any tanks of acid near here." Mumbled Batgirl.

"True..." Replied Dick.

"Well... Guess I'll just have to improvise." Batgirl was looking around for anything she could use. She saw the downed lamp poles with flickering light bulbs. Then there were the wires for the power cables. "Wait..." She blinked, a mischievous grin crossing her face.

"Too late, Batgirl!" Snarled Knave running through the smoke from the explosions having lost his temper at last with her. He was throwing grenade after grenade at her each in quick successions of one or two at a time.

She backflipped several times, getting closer and closer to the fallen poles. Knave saw what she was going for, and decided not to let her have her way, before throwing two more grenades at the poles, which exploded on contact. He then shot several lasers from his gun at her, the force and combinations of these attacks temporarily knocked her down. She barely had time to sit up when Knave's shadow loomed over her.

"So, Batgirl... you thought you could put me behind bars did you? A fledgling super heroine like you defeat the son of the Joker?" He grabbed her by the neck and pulled her up as he laughed a deep, manic laugh much unlike his father's, even if his wide tooth bearing smile was the same. He pulled out one of his playing cards, this one the Queen of Spades with his mother Harley Quinn depicted on the card.

At that moment, a shadow of a different type flitted over head. A shadow that for once, Batgirl was grateful to see. In Knave's momentary distraction, she rammed a fist in to his stomach, before raising his knee up in between his legs, and hard. He keeled over with a yell of rage and pain.

"Batman, the power cable!" Batgirl looked up at the figure before he landed. She hoped she wouldn't have to explain the whole plan, and he'd be intelligent enough to figure it out even as Knave stood up again, an angry glint in his black eyes. "What do you say now? I'm not so helpless, am I?"

"The real Batgirl would never have done something like that..." Growled Knave in response, aiming his gun at him as Batman took the hint at what she was trying to accomplish.

If she kept Knave distracted, Batman wouldn't have any problems.

"Boys! Take care of that annoying insect!" Knave shouted at the men who waited for their orders. At least before Batgirl slammed her fist in a right hook to his face, which sent him flying sideways to the ground a few feet away.

But Batman was already so high up they could barely keep tabs on him as they pulled out their own guns and started firing at him from below. He withdrew a bat-a-rang before throwing it at the power-cable, glad that none of the damage done to the city during their fights was taken out of his paycheck from Bruce. He figured out what Batgirl's initial aim was with the power cables as he grabbed it, though he wondered why it was always he who wound up risking getting electrocuted in the end.

Knave recovered quickly as Batgirl approached, swinging his feet as he jumped at her head, kicking her with all his might before spinning and standing up as though he were a dancer. She let out a grunt as she momentarily lost sight of him, but flung two bat-a-rangs at Knave as Batman flew down, tossing her the power cable from behind as Knave focussed on her and dodging the bat-a-rangs.

As the power cable came flying down, Batgirl sent her heeled-foot in to Knave's chest, sending him backwards in to the power cable's path. He didn't have time to dodge or duck out of the way, and the still-active cable came in contact with his back seconds later. He let out an ear splitting scream of pain as electrical surges went through his spine then the rest of his body.

Batman landed nearby as Knave collapsed moments later, unconscious as the cable swung away.

"Kind of mundane, don't you think?" He asked Batgirl, who shrugged.

"It's called paying attention in Science class." She replied, pulling out a rope from her belt as she heard sirens approaching in the distance. No doubt the explosions and laser fire had attracted a lot of attention. "And learning enough to know that if you play with power cables, bad things happen."

She turned to look at the men who had called Knave 'boss'. All of whom let out yells of fear before running off, after having seen Knave being electrocuted in to unconsciousness.

"Can't let him run off again." She said as she tied Knave up, putting his arms behind his back. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of burned flesh reached it.

"Let's get going before the cops turn up." Batman suggested, and she nodded, deciding that for once, she wasn't going to be a smart mouth to him.

"I'm just going to leave this where they can find him." Batgirl said.

* * *

><p>When Barbara Gordon and her police crew arrived at the football field behind Gotham City High School, she frowned. It was moments after Batman and Batgirl had vanished from the scene, though none of them knew it. However, there was a surprise waiting for them.<p>

"Two calls in one night..." She sighed, wiping her forehead as she looked around at the scene of devastation that met her eyes, and by the front gates was tied the unconscious and severely burned Knave, formerly known as Nathan Dee. The one she knew from the evidence brought to light by Batgirl and Batman to be responsible for the murders of her daughter and son-in-law. She blinked for a moment as the deputies and officers went ahead at once to ascertain the situation. A strange sense of closer coming over her as she barked orders to her employees and co-workers.

* * *

><p>Not far, Batgirl stood on the edge of a building, overlooking Gotham City in silence.<p>

"You can only ignore me for so long you know." Came Batman's voice from behind.

"I said thank you. Isn't that enough?" She asked, turning to face him. He had his arms crossed casually over his chest.

"So, now that you've made sure Knave is behind bars, what are you going to do?" He asked her once she had turned to look at him.

"Guess I could go back to a quiet, peaceful life... But somehow I don't think that's gonna happen now that Gotham knows Batgirl is back." She replied after a long silence.

"So I'll be seeing you around then?" Asked Batman after blinking.

"I guess. I've gotta get going. I've got someone to report back to." She said with a shrug as she turned back around.

"Hey, you ever need a hand with anything, just let me know. Be glad to help out." Batman said rather quickly when he saw she was getting ready to leave.

"I'll keep that in mind." Batgirl said quietly before she jumped off the building, activating the rocket boosters at her feet and flying in to the night, her wings unfolding to give her more control of her flight, leaving Batman alone on the top of that skyscraper.

It was with a mixed bundle of emotions that she returned home that night. She could hardly believe that she finally completed her first mission as she entered the passageway that led to the sub-basement where her grandfather waited. She pulled off her mask, thinking about all that happened that night while the floor moved her on its own accord to the basement command center. The lights that came on were of an electric blue color, sending an eerie glow around her dark purple, but nearly black suit.

She had not killed anyone in the end. She resisted full vengeance. Instead, Knave was going to jail. Hopefully for a very long time. While she felt like she had closure in the sense that the man who killed her parents was going to face the judges, at the same time, she did not feel like she had all the answers she needed. She sighed, feeling tired and sore as the door slid open and her grandfather came running forward. She found herself embraced in a tight hug by the old man the moment she stepped in to the command center.

"You had me worried when you shut off communications between us. Don't ever do that again." Dick said once he let his granddaughter go.

"Sorry grandpa. It was personal... But Knave and Eric are going to be locked up for a very long time... If they ever get out... they'll have me to deal with." Smiled Caitlyn in a tired but satisfied sort of way.

"Your first mission took longer than expected... but it went well. Very well. For now, you rest. But some more training is needed so things won't take as long to get done." Dick said. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt."

Caitlyn looked up at the old man who was offering mixed praise. "Well... I wish I could've found him sooner is all, grandpa." She admitted. "But at least I got him." She smiled.

"Not everything ever runs as quickly, or smoothly as we would like them to." Said Dick, with a slightly sad tone to his voice as he looked at his daughter. "I never would've expected Nathan Dee to be behind the whole scheme, for example... But you need rest. We can talk more later."

"Thanks. I'm just gonna grab some pizza and get to bed." Caitlyn yawned as she made for the stairs that led up to the main house.

"Welcome to my world, Caitlyn." Dick's voice came up to her when she reached the stairs, and she looked back at the old man, who was smiling like a proud father at his granddaughter. There was something ominous in how he said that statement, as she left the command center, it had her thinking. He had been Nightwing, after all. And her mother and grandmother had both been Batgirl before her.

No doubt, she thought as she changed out of the Batsuit and in to purple pajamas, then got herself a couple slices of Hawaiian pizza, that there were things in the world she was getting in to that would blow her mind later on. But she was not about to turn back, not now that her first mission was a success, and she knew she could make the world a better place. Not just for herself, but for other people too.

* * *

><p>"So Nathan is going behind bars... and everyone lives happily ever after?" Asked Bruce as Terry came back after changing from his Batsuit to his normal street clothes.<p>

"Pretty much. But what I don't get is how that whole family could turn out evil and twisted. I thought Nathan wanted to prove himself better than his father." Terry said as they made for the main house away from the Bat Cave, Ace the Bathound walking alongside Bruce silently, wagging his tail.

"I blame it on genetics. That whole family is insane, the Joker and Harley Quinn are no exception to that rule." Bruce replied. "So did Batgirl say she was handing the suit back in to whomever she got it from?"

"Nope. Keeping it. Guess that means I have a new partner in fighting crime, eh?" Shrugged Terry.

"I wouldn't count on it. The way she treats you, I'd rather like to think you're the plague than a crime fighting partner." Chuckled Bruce as he sat down in his recliner.

"Right. Some optimist you are." Grumbled Terry as he went to fetch the old man's medicine.

"I prefer to think of it as experienced pessimism." Mumbled Bruce as he took his heart pills.

"Well, whatever it's called... there could be a little less of it. You know?" Asked Terry, and after making sure Bruce took his medicine, he looked out the window, thinking. "Well, if that's everything you need, I'll be out?"

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Nodded Bruce.

Terry bent down to scratch Ace behind the ears before he grabbed his jacket and left Wayne Manor, to head home where his mother and little brother waited. Ever grateful that his mother was still alive, and still there when he needed her. There was nothing quite like having a family who was there waiting for you, even if one of those members was an annoying younger brother. But at least they were there. And quite sane, compared to Harley Quinn and the Joker.


End file.
